Category: India

As shoppers increasingly scrutinise ingredient labels ​to avoid products perceived as heavily processed, Nestle (NESN.S), opens new tab, maker of Nescafe coffee and KitKat chocolate, has been lobbying U.S. authorities to ‌allow simpler descriptions using common rather than scientific names on packaging.
Examples include replacing the words “ascorbic acid” with the more widely understood vitamin C in the list of ingredients and “beta-carotene” with vitamin A, to avoid consumers rejecting unfamiliar ingredients even when they are naturally derived or considered safe by regulators.

“Sometimes the way we have to describe ingredients in the U.S. ​makes it sound like Frankenstein food,” a former senior Nestle executive told Reuters. “In reality, it’s actually a natural ingredient that consumers have ​a natural word for.”
Nestle has raised the issue directly with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s team as officials ⁠review food-labelling policies under the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, the executive said, asking not to be named.
The lobbying effort has not previously been reported.
LABELLING ​RULES AND CONSUMER TRENDS
Current U.S. rules often require that packaging is labelled with less-recognisable technical terms, with no notion of intended use, which can deter ​shoppers from buying products and have at times pushed companies to change recipes to remove some ingredients, industry sources say.

Meanwhile in Europe, labelling depends on the intended use. For instance, if an ingredient is used as an additive, it could be labelled “antioxidant (ascorbic acid)” or as a vitamin “ascorbic acid (vitamin C)” or simply as “vitamin C”.
A report by Innova Market Insights ​found last year that about three-quarters of North American consumers reconsider what they are buying because of ingredients lists on packaging. Most consumers look for ​real ingredients and an ingredient list that is easy to understand, according to the report.
“We continue to engage with stakeholders across the food industry on ways to help ‌Americans make ⁠informed decisions about the foods they purchase and consume,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said.
Some public health advocates argue that using less scientific labelling can be misleading and makes it easier for large food companies to be opaque about including additives in their products.

SHRINKING INGREDIENTS LISTS
Food companies have spent billions removing artificial colours, preservatives and additives as consumers switch to products with shorter, more recognisable ingredient lists.
Nestle’s technology chief, Stefan Palzer, ​confirmed to Reuters that the company ​was engaged in lobbying via trade ⁠associations to make labels less complex.
“But it’s difficult,” Palzer said. “We try to reduce ingredients that are not understood by consumers whenever possible, without compromising on the safety, quality or functionality of the product.”
Palzer said consumers globally prefer ingredients ​that look “familiar” and products that have “labels they understand”.
Some companies like Germany’s Aldi are eliminating dozens of ingredients from ​what they sell ⁠so shoppers “can feel good about adding to their carts”.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/nestle-pushes-simpler-us-food-labels-shed-frankenstein-ingredients-image-2026-07-24/

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said young people need explanation and affection, not commands. His remarks come amid the student-led protests in Delhi over exam paper leaks.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat underscored that today’s young generation was not misguided or directionless and called for meaningful “discussion”, not “dictation”, to understand them. The RSS chief’s remarks come at a time when Delhi’s streets are simmering with one of the largest student-led protests the capital has seen in years over exam paper leaks.

Speaking at the ‘Vishwa Mangalya Sabha’ event, Bhagwat reflected on the widening gap between generations, saying today’s youth require the right guidance. “When we were young, it was an era of obedience. That’s not the case anymore,” he said.

WHAT MOHAN BHAGWAT SAID ON TODAY’S YOUTH?
The RSS chief said today’s younger generation was more inclined to ask questions, making it essential for parents and elders to engage with them. At the same time, he voiced concern over the shrinking space for conversations within families.

“The new generation asks questions. We have to explain the reasoning to them. We need to give them a lot of affection. We need to spend time with them. We need to communicate with them,” Bhagwat said.

He further underlined that winning the trust of the youth requires conversation, not commands.

“We need to give the new generation a sense of belonging. We need to communicate. Not dictation, but discussion. Not orders, but consensus,” Bhagwat said.

While Bhagwat did not directly refer to the ongoing agitation at Jantar Mantar, the timing of his remarks left little doubt.

The development came after the nurse was arrested for allegedly threatening to leak the doctor’s private photographs, implicate him in a false rape case, and kill him.

A nurse, arrested for allegedly extorting Rs 2 crore from a 65-year-old doctor in Rajasthan, has accused him of sexually assaulting more than 100 women. The nurse, Kamla alias Kamlesh, made the sensational allegations against the doctor in a video message before she was produced in a Barmer court on Friday. Calling him a “serial rapist”, the nurse alleged that the doctor abused several women patients who visited his hospital.

The development came after the nurse was arrested for allegedly threatening to leak the doctor’s private photographs, implicate him in a false rape case and kill him. After questioning her and collecting digital evidence, police produced her before a court, which remanded her to judicial custody. Before attending the session, the nurse recorded a video message and lashed out at the doctor.

DOCTOR ASSAULTED 100 WOMEN OVER THE YEARS, CLAIMS NURSE
In a video that was recorded outside the court has emerged in which the nurse makes a series of serious allegations against the doctor.

Calling him ‘a number one rapist,’ she claimed the doctor had sexually assaulted more than 100 women over the years. She further alleged that he had abused several female patients who visited his hospital and claimed that some women had even approached the police in the past.

According to the accused, those complaints never progressed because the doctor allegedly paid money to settle the matters. She also claimed that the extortion case against her was fabricated to suppress the allegations she had made against him.

Extending her allegations to other hospital employees, the nurse claimed that two staff members assisted the doctor in procuring women

Police have not confirmed any of these allegations, and there is no official indication so far that they have been substantiated.

DOCTOR ALLEGES YEARS-LONG BLACKMAILING
The case originated from a complaint filed by the doctor, who alleged that the accused had been working at his private hospital since December 2016, primarily on night shifts.

According to the complaint, the nurse would enter his private room on the fourth floor of the hospital on the pretext of preparing tea. During one such visit, she allegedly transferred his personal photographs from his mobile phone to her own device without his knowledge.

The doctor alleged that she later threatened to circulate those photographs on social media, implicate him in a false rape case and even have him killed unless he paid her money.

Fearing damage to his personal reputation and the hospital’s image, the doctor claimed he continued making payments over several years.

DOCTOR ACCUSES NURSE OF EXTORTING MONEY

The complaint alleges that the nurse extorted nearly Rs 2 crore from the doctor in addition to receiving her salary.

Police said approximately Rs 35 lakh was transferred online from the doctor’s personal and hospital bank accounts. The doctor also alleged that the accused compelled him to sign blank cheques and blank stamp papers, which she allegedly kept in a bank locker.

Investigators are now examining financial transactions and banking records to verify the allegations.

WAS UNDER CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE, SAYS DOCTOR
The doctor also alleged that the nurse kept him under round-the-clock surveillance.

According to his complaint, she monitored CCTV cameras installed inside the hospital to track his movements. He further claimed she provided him with a separate mobile phone and SIM card and insisted that it remain switched on at all times so she could monitor his location.

Police said digital evidence, including emails, messages and data recovered from the accused’s mobile phone, is being examined as part of the investigation.

ACCUSED NOT COOPERATING, SAY POLICE
Barmer City Kotwali police said the accused has been sent to judicial custody while investigators continue collecting evidence from multiple sources, including bank records and electronic devices.

According to police, the accused has not been cooperating during questioning and has repeatedly denied the allegations against her while allegedly attempting to mislead investigators.

Officials said every aspect of the complaint is being examined before further legal action is taken.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rajasthan-doctor-extortion-case-nurse-alleges-sexual-assault-of-over-100-women-2955791-2026-07-25

A group of 93 retired civil servants has sought an independent judicial inquiry into the July 20 police action against student protesters in Delhi. They said the alleged use of pellets, tasers and surveillance against unarmed students demands accountability and dialogue.

A group of 93 retired civil servants on Friday sought an independent judicial inquiry into the July 20 police action against student protesters in Delhi, alleging that security personnel used pellet guns, electric batons and tear gas against unarmed demonstrators. The Constitutional Conduct Group also called for action against officers responsible for what it described as the “illegal and disproportionate” use of force.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Delhi Police Commissioner S B K Singh, the group alleged that Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force personnel used excessive force during and after the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march on Monday, leaving several protesters seriously injured.

The signatories included former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, former Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, former PMO OSD A S Dulat, former Punjab DGP Julio Ribeiro, former IAS officer Harsh Mander and several other retired IAS, IPS and IFS officers.

The group said one young protester had to undergo surgery to remove pellets from the eye and neck, while a 15-year-old child was among those injured and hospitalised. “Reports indicate that the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel used pellet guns, electrical batons (tasers) and tear gas against demonstrators, resulting in serious injuries to several youths,” the letter said.

The former civil servants further alleged that several Delhi Police and RAF personnel, including some without name tags and others in plain clothes, “mercilessly” assaulted protesters with lathis, including some embedded with nails. They also alleged sexual misconduct by at least one policeman and demanded that the officer be identified and given exemplary punishment.

The letter also questioned the presence of “a truck filled with stones” near the protest site despite strict security arrangements, alleged stone-pelting by policemen, and claimed that protesters were moved from one police station to another without access to lawyers.

Describing the developments as unprecedented, the signatories alleged that armed police personnel with guns were stationed at the gates of Parliament in anticipation of the march reaching the complex. The group also claimed that authorities ordered the closure of offices and shops in central Delhi on July 23, imposed internet restrictions and deployed facial recognition vans to live-scan peaceful protesters.

“Facial Recognition Vans were deployed to live-scan peaceful protesters, constituting a violation of the citizen’s fundamental right to privacy,” the letter said, adding that the technology could be “weaponised as tools of intimidation and suppression of fundamental rights.”

The retired officials also alleged that CRPF personnel in riot gear were deployed at the protest site and accused the administration of creating stampede-like conditions by confining demonstrators through extensive barricading instead of managing the crowds.

The letter criticised the government’s response after the violence, alleging that only “photo-op visits” were made to injured protesters in hospitals, while the list of those arrested had not been made public. It also noted that the government had remained silent on NEET aspirants who allegedly died by suicide.

Expressing disappointment over the judiciary’s response, the group said, “Perhaps the greatest shock of all is the Supreme Court’s reported refusal to hear a plea against police action on young protestors on the grounds that they did not have time to waste by watching videos.”

The signatories said students had taken to the streets not out of “mischief” but because of repeated examination scandals, paper leaks, administrative failures and alleged mismanagement in the education sector. “The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution… These young citizens deserve empathy, dialogue, protection and solutions, not pellets and lathis,” the letter said.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-police-action-on-student-protesters-93-retired-officials-seek-judicial-inquiry-ptag-2955728-2026-07-25

Punjab Police suspended Barnala DSP Satvir Singh after the alleged lathi-charge on protesting sanitation workers in the city. The action followed political criticism, intervention by commissions and calls for a fair inquiry.

Punjab Police on Friday suspended Barnala DSP Satvir Singh over the alleged lathi-charge on sanitation workers during a protest, following mounting criticism over the police action.

The suspension order was issued by Punjab DGP after a report from the DGP, Patiala Range. Singh has been placed under suspension under Rule 4(1)(a) of the Punjab Police (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970. During the suspension period, his headquarters will remain at the 4th Commando Battalion, SAS Nagar.

The controversy stems from a clash between police and protesting safai karamcharis in Barnala on Wednesday during a cleanliness drive launched by the district administration and the municipal corporation.

According to police, sanitation workers protesting in the city allegedly tried to stop the cleanliness operation and threw stones and garbage bags at personnel deployed at Handiaya Bazar. Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the protesters, leaving four personnel injured, officials had said. The sanitation workers, however, claimed that some of them were injured during the police action.

The clash took place amid an ongoing sanitation workers’ protest that had resulted in garbage piling up across Barnala city. Authorities had initiated the cleanliness drive to remove accumulated waste, but the protesting workers opposed the move.

The suspension comes after opposition parties targeted the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government, accusing it of failing to handle the situation and alleging excessive use of force against sanitation workers.

Uttarakhand Police has initiated legal and departmental action against suspended constable Sher Singh after his viral speech at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where he claimed leaked question papers were available at “grocery stores” and announced support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).

The Uttarakhand Police has initiated legal and departmental action against suspended constable Sher Singh after he allegedly made what officials described as “provocative and irresponsible” statements during a student protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

A video circulating on social media shows Sher Singh addressing protesters over alleged examination irregularities. During his speech, he questioned the government over paper leak incidents, claiming that leaked question papers are available at “grocery stores.” He also announced his support for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and publicly declared his resignation from the police service.

However, Uttarakhand Police said the constable has already been under suspension for a prolonged period and dismissal proceedings against him were already underway in connection with a serious criminal case.

Kumaon Inspector General (IG) of Police Nivedita Kukreti said Sher Singh, Constable No 118 of the 2009 batch and originally from Pathari in Haridwar district, had been posted in Pithoragarh district but remained absent from duty without authorisation since June 28, 2026.

According to the IG, the Superintendent of Police, Pithoragarh, issued him a notice regarding his unauthorised absence. After he failed to respond, the department suspended him on July 20, 2026.

Addressing the viral video, Kukreti said, “Currently, a constable, Sher Singh, is making a baseless statement inciting student protests, which is going viral. Regarding this constable, it is worth noting that he was unauthorisedly absent from Pithoragarh district since June 28, 2026. In this regard, he was issued a notice by the SP, Pithoragarh, and upon not receiving a response, he was suspended on July 20, 2026.”

She added that Sher Singh has a prior criminal history and had allegedly worked with notorious gangster Praveen Valmiki and another associate in organised crime.

“The constable has a prior criminal history. He and another colleague were involved in organised crime in connivance with a notorious gangster, Praveen Valmiki. They used to intimidate innocent people and seize their land. He was arrested and sent to jail on 15 September 2025. He spent several months in jail and is currently out on bail. In this context also, dismissal proceedings were going on against him and currently, necessary legal and departmental action is being taken in relation to the baseless statement given by him,” Kukreti said.

The police said Sher Singh was transferred to Pithoragarh on September 8, 2025, on administrative grounds after investigators allegedly found his involvement with the Balmiki Gang, described as an inter-state criminal organisation. The department transferred him while departmental and legal proceedings were pending.

Police said Sher Singh remained in judicial custody for nearly two months before securing bail from the Uttarakhand High Court on November 7, 2025. Following his release, he allegedly remained absent from duty for prolonged periods amounting to around seven months. He briefly reported for duty during April and May before once again remaining absent without authorisation.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/uttarakhand-police-action-against-constable-sher-singh-over-jantar-mantar-protest-remarks-2955629-2026-07-25

Anti-NEET protests intensified across Tamil Nadu on Friday, with students, teachers and parties joining demonstrations. The unrest widened calls to scrap the exam and mounted pressure on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Protests against the NEET intensified across Tamil Nadu on Friday, with demonstrations and detentions reported in Chennai, Madurai and Mayiladuthurai. Thousands of students, teachers, youth organisations and political leaders joined the agitation, demanding that the medical entrance examination be scrapped and that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign over paper leaks.

In Chennai, a round-the-clock sit-in at the CPI state headquarters entered its sixth day and drew large crowds. Protesters said the campaign had grown from 20 people at the start to nearly 5,000 students over the past two days, as calls against NEET gathered momentum across the state.

The protesters at the CPI office said 21 students in Tamil Nadu had lost their lives because of pressures linked to NEET. “Even though we have been protesting in a completely peaceful and non-violent manner for six days, without resorting to road blockades or clashes, it is highly disappointing that the state government has not yet met the students or listened to our demands,” said Celina, an activist at the protest site.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan said his party would hold demonstrations in all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu on July 27 to demand Pradhan’s resignation and the complete scrapping of NEET. He said the VCK had opposed NEET since its introduction and had argued for its abolition not only in Tamil Nadu but across the country.

“Our position is clear: NEET should be abolished not just in Tamil Nadu, but across the entire country. On July 27, we will hold demonstrations across all 234 assembly constituencies in the state demanding the complete cancellation of the exam and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,” Thirumavalavan said.

Speaking to reporters, Thirumavalavan said Parliament’s monsoon session had been completely paralysed for five days over the alleged NEET irregularities. He said that during talks with protesters in Delhi on Friday, the Centre agreed to withdraw police cases filed against students after the violence of July 20.

He added that the government had asked for two days on the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation. He also said the Tamil Nadu government had assured support for the protests as long as they remained non-violent and democratic.

The May 17 Movement also staged a protest in Chennai, where its leader Thirumurugan Gandhi demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister for addressing the public through a recorded video message instead of facing the media directly.

He also accused the Tamil Nadu government of shutting Marina Beach to protesters while allowing public screenings of cricket matches and the Chief Minister’s film, calling the move a “mockery of democracy”.

Gandhi said a state Assembly resolution seeking exemption from NEET had earlier been put in cold storage by the Governor and the President. He said the student-led protests were growing rapidly and compared them with the CAA and farmers’ protests. “Tamil Nadu has always sought an exemption from NEET and its complete abolition. The entire country must now come together to abolish this exam,” he said.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/neet-protests-tamil-nadu-intensify-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-demand-ptag-2955583-2026-07-24

The fake videos with spliced audio show PM Modi and Piyush Goyal threatening students and warning them of dire consequences.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has fact-checked AI-generated videos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Piyush Goyal that are being circulated to spread fake news.

The Fact Check Unit of the PIB has clarified that the videos are fake and AI-generated. The unit said that neither the Prime Minister nor Goyal made the statements as presented in the fake videos.

It added that the videos are being circulated by Pakistani propaganda networks to spread misinformation.

AI-generated videos of the Prime Minister and the Union Minister are being pushed by propaganda handles. These fake videos with spliced audio show the PM and the minister threatening students and warning them of dire consequences.

🚨 DEEPFAKE VIDEO ALERT!

Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a video of Prime Minister @narendramodi featuring fabricated statements that he never made regarding the protest in Delhi. #PIBFactCheck:

❌ This is an ‘#AI-generated deepfake video’ shared to mislead the… pic.twitter.com/OEZHxjlKsz

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) July 24, 2026

The propaganda handles have digitally altered PM Modi’s Thursday night video in which he promised strict action against paper leaks.

Piyush Goyal’s sound bite outside Parliament has also been digitally altered to make it sound like a threat to the protesters.

⚠️ Fake Video Alert!

Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a video of Union Minister Piyush Goyal claiming that he made threatening remarks about the protesting students. #PIBFactCheck:

❌This video is #Fake and AI-generated.

✅ Union Minister @piyushgoyal did… pic.twitter.com/lowN3RxaHl

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) July 24, 2026

The PIB has urged people to report any misleading or manipulated content on +91 87997 11259 or via email at factcheck@pib.gov.in.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cjp-protest-fake-news-government-debunks-fake-ai-videos-of-pm-minister-blames-pakistani-handles-11819211?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

 

India avoids a steeper US tariff, with exports facing a 10% Section 301 duty from Friday after New Delhi tightened rules against forced-labour imports.

India will pay a 10% tariff on most of its exports to the US from Friday after the Trump administration rolled out the levy under a new legal provision as the successor to the temporary duty of the same rate that expired on July 24.

The 10% rate is lower than the 12.5% India would have faced under the office of the US Trade Representative’s (USTR) June draft, and averts a comparative disadvantage against China, Vietnam and around 36 other economies that were placed in the higher bracket. The tariff, imposed under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, is paid on top of the applicable Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) duty, and follows the conclusion of one of two Section 301 investigations against India.

Alongside India, USTR placed 16 other economies in the 10% bracket — among them Pakistan, Sri Lanka and, notably, Bangladesh, a direct competitor in textiles and garments, one of India’s largest export categories to the US. The lower rate applies to economies that have adopted a forced-labour import prohibition, committed to one through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or implemented a partial regime with the same effect.

That said, the new duties under Section 301 are both temporary and partial, people aware of the matter said — temporary because the architecture is expected to be superseded once the interim BTA (bilateral trade agreement) is signed, and partial because only one of the two Section 301 investigations has concluded.

India’s placement in the lower bracket followed a July 13 amendment to the Foreign Trade Policy banning the import of goods produced wholly or partly through forced or compulsory labour — a measure USTR had, in its June 2 draft report, found India to be without.

“Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement announcing the tariff. “I am encouraged by the trading partners who have moved quickly to adopt forced labour import prohibitions, and look forward to ensuring their effective enforcement.”

The 60 economies covered by the action together account for over 99% of US imports. Alongside India, the White House named Argentina, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom among those in the 10% bracket. Specific tariff arrangements have been put in place for the European Union, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Switzerland. USTR has accused China and Vietnam, both in the 12.5% bracket, of flouting the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

USTR’s June 2 draft report had found that India “failed to impose and effectively enforce a forced labour import prohibition”, that the failure was unreasonable, and that it burdened or restricted US commerce — placing India in the 12.5% bracket at that stage. Representations by New Delhi in April, May and early July, followed by the July 13 ban, moved India into the lower group by the July 24 determination, people aware of the matter said. USTR said it had received over 1,600 written comments on the proposed action and held public hearings between July 7 and July 9 at which more than 100 witnesses testified.

Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), described the outcome as a significant achievement given the United States is India’s largest export destination. “India secured the lower 10% tariff, down from the 12.5% rate proposed in the USTR’s draft, after introducing measures to prohibit imports made with forced labour,” he said. “The USTR considered this a policy improvement, placing India in the lower-tariff category alongside 16 other economies.”

The excess-capacity investigation, launched in the same month as the forced-labour one, covers 16 economies including India. Its outcome carries the potential to erode India’s position against key export rivals — among them China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh — persons aware of the matter said. Of India’s neighbouring competitors, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are not subject to the excess-capacity investigation. If it produces duties on India but not on them, the parity established by Thursday’s action would invert.

Section 301, unlike Section 122, carries no rate ceiling and no fixed expiry, though it requires a formal investigation before duties can be imposed.

The moves come against the backdrop of talks between New Delhi and Washington on the interim India-US bilateral trade agreement , which is still unfinalised.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-lands-at-10-under-us-forced-labour-tariff-escapes-steeper-125-101784940355023.html

Wangchuk dismissed allegations that he had struck a deal with the government, saying he should not have to prove the sincerity of his protest.

Educator-activist Sonam Wangchuk has hit back at critics questioning his decision to end his 26-day hunger strike held in support of students protesting over the alleged NEET paper leak.

In a video message shared on X on Friday, Wangchuk dismissed allegations that he had struck a deal with the government, saying he should not have to prove the sincerity of his protest.

Sharing the video, Wangchuk wrote, “AFTER 26 DAYS OF HUNGER DO I NEED TO PROVE MY SINCERITY!!!” He also urged people to watch the full 22-minute video on his YouTube channel.

In the video, Wangchuk questioned why his decision to call off the fast had led to speculation about political influence.

“Do I need a character certificate to prove that my hunger strike was genuine? Since I have ended it, people are asking whose influence led me to do so. Why did I end my fast through these ministers and not others? What deal was made? Do I really have to answer all these questions?” he said.

AFTER 26 DAYS OF HUNGER DO I NEED TO PROVE MY SINCERITY !!!
Do please watch and help spread the word. Find the full 22 minutes video on my YouTube Channel: Sonam Wangchuk pic.twitter.com/6CO3tjZsSD

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 24, 2026

‘Pains Me deeply’

The activist said he has started taking liquid food after ending his fast and had regained some strength, but was saddened that he had to use that energy to respond to such allegations.

“Since yesterday, I have started taking liquid food, and I have regained a little strength. Unfortunately, I have to use that strength to respond to these allegations. It pains me deeply to say this,” Wangchuk said.

Wangchuk strongly denied claims that any deal was made with the government to end his protest. “If I wanted to make a deal, would I have needed to sit on a hunger strike for 26 days? Many people have made deals before, but have you ever seen anyone doing it this way? Was I sitting in a luxurious, air-conditioned room making a deal? I spent 26 days fasting on the roadside in Delhi’s scorching heat,” he said.

Calling the allegations disappointing, Wangchuk added that it was “shameful” that such thoughts were being entertained despite the nature of his protest.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/do-i-need-a-character-certificate-sonam-wangchuk-slams-critics-over-decision-to-end-fast-ws-l-10232258.html

 

An autopsy conducted on July 14 confirmed that Kaur died from strangulation, following which the medical examiner classified the case as a homicide, the EPS said.

A 23-year-old woman from Punjab’s Ludhiana district was allegedly strangled to death at her residence in Edmonton, Canada. Her live-in partner, who is also an Indian national, has been arrested by police in connection with the murder.

The victim, identified as Damanpreet Kaur, belonged to Samrala and had travelled to Canada on a student visa.

According to the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), officers reached a house in the Silverberry neighbourhood of southeast Edmonton on July 9 after receiving information about an unresponsive woman with suspicious injuries.

Kaur was rushed to a hospital by emergency responders, where she later died on July 12 due to her injuries.

An autopsy conducted on July 14 confirmed that Kaur died from strangulation, following which the medical examiner classified the case as a homicide, the EPS said.

Police arrested 22-year-old Ritish Kumar on July 22 and charged him with second-degree murder. Investigators said the case is being treated as an intimate partner homicide and added that no other suspects are being sought.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/23-year-old-punjab-woman-killed-in-canada-indian-origin-live-in-partner-charged-with-murder-ws-l-10232497.html

The death toll in Assam’s floods has reached 61, with 14 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours.

Assam’s flood crisis has worsened, with the death toll climbing to 61 after 14 more people lost their lives in the last 24 hours, according to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). The deluge has affected over 7.05 lakh people across 12 districts, with Charaideo recording the highest number of fresh fatalities. Rescue and relief operations continue as large parts of the state remain inundated and one person is still reported missing in Sivasagar.

The overall situation in the state continues to be grim across 12 districts namely — Golaghat, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Hojai, Nagaon, Biswanath, Jorhat, Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Kamrup (M), and Karbi Anglong.

Sivasagar is currently the worst-hit district with 3,48,555 people affected, followed by Charaideo with 1,88,404, and Jorhat with 1,26,793. The ASDMA report further highlighted that 856 villages and 37 revenue circles have been hit by the floods.

The agricultural sector has also suffered a heavy blow, with 56,606.777 hectares of crop area remaining submerged under floodwaters.

As the water levels refuse to subside, over 3.15 lakh people have sought refuge in 363 relief camps and distribution centres set up by the administration in the flood-affected districts.

The deluge has also caused a significant loss of livestock. In the last 24 hours, 17,107 animals and poultry were washed away, while a total of 3,34,020 animals and poultry remain affected by the floodwaters.

In response to the NEET paper leak protests, the government has implemented significant reforms to enhance the integrity of its examination system.

Amid the ongoing students’ protest over the NEET paper leak controversy, the Centre has announced a series of sweeping measures aimed at restoring credibility to the country’s examination system. In what government sources described as a comprehensive response, six key decisions have been taken over the past 24 hours, ranging from legal reforms and administrative changes to bring reforms in the education system.

The developments came as the central government is facing mounting criticism over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. Meanwhile, despite protests, sources have maintained that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will continue in office.

Key Decisions Taken By Govt In Past 24 Hours

1. Fast-Track Courts For Exam Frauds

The government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure the speedy trial of cases related to examination malpractices and paper leaks, aiming at expediting prosecutions and strengthening deterrence against organised exam fraud. In fact, the Delhi High Court also notified a designated court to deal with criminal cases arising from paper leaks as well as the use of other unfair means in public examinations.
The move came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that his government will set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leak cases. He also asserted that protecting the welfare and future of the country’s youth remains the government’s top priority.

2. Fresh Bill To Strengthen Anti-Paper Leak Law

The Union Cabinet on Friday approved the anti-paper leak bill, which proposes stricter punishment, increased jail time and fines on the accused. The proposed bill is set to be introduced on Monday in the ongoing Monsoon Session in Parliament.
According to sources, the government is considering significantly increasing punishments for offences related to paper leaks. Under the existing law, standard offences attract three to five years’ imprisonment and fines of up to Rs 10 lakh. The new Bill is expected to prescribe substantially higher jail terms and steeper financial penalties.

3. Education Secretary Replaced

In a key administrative reshuffle, the Centre on Thursday changed the Education Secretary as part of its efforts to improve oversight and accountability within the education ecosystem. The government appointed IAS Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new secretary of the Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi, who has now been transferred to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

4. 47 NTA Officials Removed

The government has removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA) in what is being seen as one of the biggest administrative actions following the controversy. The move is part of a wider exercise to identify and rectify shortcomings within the examination body.

5. No Cases Against Protesters

According to sources, the government has accepted CJP’s demand of removing criminal cases registered against students or others who participated in protests over the NEET paper leak issue.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/from-fast-track-courts-to-nta-overhaul-govts-6-big-decisions-in-24-hours-amid-cjp-protest-article-155170147

PM Modi raised the issue of the safety of Indian maritime workers and sailors during his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, the government told Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had raised the issue of the safety of Indian maritime workers and sailors during his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in June, as well as at the G7 Summit Outreach Session the same month, the government told Parliament on Friday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, in a written response to a query to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said PM Modi had highlighted that the ongoing conflict in West Asia had disrupted global maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz and resulted in the loss of lives, including those of Indian seafarers. “PM raised the issue of safety of Indian maritime workers and sailors, both during his bilateral meeting with President Trump and during his intervention at the G7 Summit Outreach Session on June 16, 2026,” the MoS said.

The Ministry of External Affairs was asked whether the issue of safety of Indian maritime workers and sailors was raised following the killing of some Indian maritime workers in a US military strike in the Gulf of Oman during the last month, when Prime Minister Modi and the US President had a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Paris in June.

Prime Minister Modi met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Évian, France, on June 17.

Notably, PM Modi had also emphasised the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce through the Strait of Hormuz. He said that the safety and security of seafarers who make a significant contribution to global maritime trade should remain a shared concern of the international community, Vardhan said.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/pm-modi-raised-the-issue-of-indian-sailors-during-meeting-with-trump-government-tells-lok-sabha-article-155174452

From the CJP’s Jantar Mantar platform shunned by ally Congress to Rahul Gandhi’s 7 LKM protest to Parliament, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is using all stages in Delhi. The goal seems to be one, coming just ahead of the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh.

In a span of a few days, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav turned two of New Delhi’s most politically important stages into a platform of campaign messaging. The third stage came up unexpectedly outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence, where Akhilesh made a surprise appearance, turning a sit-in by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi into another stage aimed squarely at Uttar Pradesh’s youth.

Doing just more than acknowledging and reacting to the protests, the SP has appeared to use it to reinforce a political identity it wants voters to associate with it before the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. The SP, out of power for two consecutive terms in UP, wants to be seen as the one standing with students, job aspirants and unemployed youth.

These three stages might be in New Delhi for Akhilesh and the SP. The destination isn’t the national capital for now. It is Lucknow. However, the road to Lucknow seems to be passing via Delhi.

Akhilesh Yadav is emerging as the second most prominent face of the Opposition in the protests after Rahul Gandhi.

Akhilesh’s use of the three stages came amid the Opposition’s mobilisation around the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) agitation over alleged exam paper leaks and irregularities in recruitment examinations. For the SP chief, the first stage was Jantar Mantar, where party MP Dimple Yadav repeatedly visited protesters, met fasting activist Sonam Wangchuk, interacted with students and accused the BJP government of failing India’s youth.

The second stage was Parliament, where Akhilesh Yadav took on the same issues inside the Lok Sabha, linking paper leaks, unemployment and the police action against protesters to what he described as the government’s failures.

The third stage came outside Modi’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, where Akhilesh joined Congress MPs Rahul Gandhi (LOP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders in a sit-in that ended with their detention by Delhi Police. Individually. Each of these separate incidents appear to be a part of the Opposition’s campaign. But, together they projected a sequenced political messaging bid.

JANTAR MANTAR, THE FIRST STAGE OF SAMAJWADI PARTY, AKHILESH YADAV

Like political campaigns need a humane face before they acquire a political one, Dimple Yadav played that role for the SP.

As the CJP-led protests gathered momentum at Jantar Mantar over NEET paper leaks and alleged examination irregularities, Mainpuri MP and wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, emerged as one of the most visible Opposition leaders, who met Wangchuk and the leaders of the CJP several times. Unlike a one-off political visit, she returned to the protest site multiple times over several days.

She marched from Parliament to Jantar Mantar alongside Samajwadi Party MPs, carrying placards that questioned the integrity of the examination system.

Following clashes between protesters and police, Dimple Yadav accused the government of suppressing the voices of students instead of addressing their concerns. She alleged that the recruitment and examination system had become compromised and argued that the country’s youth were being pushed into uncertainty.

The SP wants to show that while it stands with the CJP’s agitation, the issues of youth unemployment and paper leaks are part of its own political agenda. Instead of just attacking the BJP from press conferences or television studios, the SP leadership appeared physically present alongside agitating students.

And, that’s what the SP needs before the crucial polls. It’s visibly attempting to widen its social coalition beyond traditional PDA caste arithmetic. That’s where the grievances of the young offered them an attractive stage. Paper leaks and unemployment resonate across caste lines, which the SP sees as a politically powerful issue.

This plank of the SP also dovetailed with Akhilesh Yadav’s broader messaging over the past year, where paper leaks, delayed recruitments and unemployment became recurring themes in his speeches. Moreover, the SP has already shown its willingness to align with Sanatana and the soft-Hindutva brand of politics.

SP’s SECOND STAGE WAS THE PARLIAMENT; AKHILESH MADE GOOD USE OF IT

If the visuals of MP Dimple Yadav at Jantar Mantar generated goodwill, Akhilesh Yadav’s speech in the Parliament generated headlines.

Soon after the police action against protesters, Akhilesh Yadav carried the issue into the Lok Sabha. He represents the Kannauj seat of UP in the lower house.

Akhilesh’s outburst in the Lok Sabha was not restricted to the alleged police excesses. He stitched together three issues that featured in Opposition attacks against the BJP. He spoke about paper leaks, unemployment and what the Opposition describes as an increasingly insensitive approach towards Indian youth.

Akhilesh questioned why students protesting over their future were met with force instead of being provided with answers. He criticised the handling of examination irregularities and argued that repeated paper leaks had destroyed the confidence of lakhs of candidates preparing for government jobs.

During the proceedings, SP MPs, including Dimple Yadav, vocally supported him, while other Opposition MPs held coordinated protests inside the Parliament. So, by intervening in Parliament, Akhilesh ensured that the issues entered the records, dominated the news and compelled the Centre to respond and act. His statement in Parliament was an amplifier.

Akhilesh Yadav told the Lok Sabha that the Opposition was “compelled to go to the Prime Minister’s residence” because its concerns were not being heard in Parliament. He questioned why the Prime Minister “can’t make a statement” inside the House on issues affecting the country’s youth.

Akhilesh’s statement in Parliament also made sure that the SP didn’t appear to be an opportunist party jumping onto a trending issue. The SP has so far presented itself as carrying the same argument from the streets into the country’s highest legislative forum, the House of the People.

AKHILESH’S THIRD STAGE WAS OUTSIDE PRIME MINISTER’S RESIDENCE

The biggest stage that Akhilesh used was the streets outside 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, the official residence of the Indian Prime Minister.

Akhilesh Yadav joined Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several INDIA bloc leaders in a sit-in protest demanding accountability over the police action against protesters and the broader concerns surrounding examination irregularities.

As the Delhi Police detained several Opposition leaders as they tried to continue the demonstration, the visuals started dominating spaces in television screens and social media. As the leader of the second-biggest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha, the detention outside the Prime Minister’s residence carried symbolism.

As Akhilesh Yadav was detained and stuffed into a bus by the Delhi Police, SP workers gathered around it, raising slogans in his support and against the BJP government. Several cadres ran alongside the bus, cheering their leader. This turned the high-profile detention into a display of solidarity. Some reports say that Akhilesh and SP cadres even went to Chhatrasal Stadium in northern Delhi, where Rahul Gandhi had been detained along with hundreds of Congress cadres.

By protesting and standing alongside Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav also reinforced another message. The SP is not like other regional parties that cosied up to the BJP. It wants itself to be seen as the one carrying the mantle of the Opposition against the BJP-led Centre.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/akhilesh-yadav-samajwadi-party-delhi-protest-strategy-jantar-mantar-parliament-pm-residence-up-election-youth-2954219-2026-07-23

The Centre has appointed Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi in a bureaucratic reshuffle that comes amid ongoing protests over alleged NEET examination irregularities.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Thursday appointed 1994-batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. He succeeds Vineet Joshi, who has been transferred to Secretary in the Department of Panchayati Raj as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle.

Gangwar was serving as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying before his latest appointment. Earlier, he served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, where he handled issues related to pollution control and hazardous substances management.

An engineer by training, Gangwar holds a BTech in Electronics and Communication from the University of Roorkee, an MTech in Communication and Radar Engineering from IIT Delhi, and an MA in Economics from the University of Rajasthan.

During his career, he has held several key positions in the Rajasthan government, including Principal Secretary of the School Education, Energy, Agriculture, Industries and Information Technology departments. He also served as Chairman of Jaipur DISCOM and Chairman and Managing Director of the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. Gangwar played a key role in framing Rajasthan’s early solar energy policies during the initial phase of the National Solar Mission between 2010 and 2014.

GOVT DID NOT SPECIFY RESHUFFLE REASON

The government order did not specify any reason for the reshuffle, which comes amid continuing protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. The government is under continuous pressure as the New Delhi sees young individuals flocking in New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to show their dissent over NEET irregularities.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Dr Nishikant Dubey welcomed the change, calling the action a ‘Modi Guarantee.’

“Prime Minister Modi Ji has replaced the Education Secretary who showed negligence in the paper leak case. Strict action will be taken against those guilty of paper leaks, including anyone who showed laxity or negligence. Modi Guarantee,” tweeted Dubey.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/naresh-pal-gangwar-is-new-higher-education-secretaryvineet-joshi-shifted-to-ministry-of-panchayati-raj-2954794-2026-07-23

As protests continue at Jantar Mantar, Delhi University has cautioned students and faculty against participating in unauthorised demonstrations. The advisory warns that violations could invite disciplinary and legal action, with implications for students’ academic future.

Delhi University (DU) on Thursday advised students and faculty members to stay away from the ongoing protests at Jantar Mantar, warning that participation in unlawful assemblies could invite legal action and adversely affect students’ academic and professional futures.

In an advisory issued to the university community, DU urged students to prioritise their safety and comply with the law, citing the restrictions governing demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. “Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, which are strictly regulated as per the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, may invite legal action,” the advisory said.

The university cautioned that participation in such gatherings could pose risks to students’ personal safety and “significantly impact their academic progress and professional opportunities.”

“Accordingly, all students are urged to stay away from Jantar Mantar and to prioritise their safety and compliance with the law,” it added.

The advisory also warned students against misinformation circulating on social media amid the ongoing agitation. “Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation,” the university said.

Meanwhile, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has announced nationwide protests on Friday against what it calls “police brutality” during recent demonstrations, urging supporters, student unions and civil society groups to hold peaceful protests across districts.

The agitation, which began at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on June 20, has evolved into a wider political confrontation after clashes between protesters and police earlier this week. The outfit has continued to insist that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is “non-negotiable”.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/story/jantar-mantar-protests-may-invite-legal-action-affect-academic-future-delhi-university-to-students-faculty-2954723-2026-07-23

 

PM Modi said the government’s immediate priority after the alleged NEET paper leak was to ensure that students did not lose an academic year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a video message posted at 11.52 pm on Thursday, announced that the Union Cabinet will on Friday discuss a draft law providing for fast-track courts and stricter punishment in paper leak cases, saying the government would make every effort to get the legislation passed by Parliament at the earliest during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

In a nearly three-minute video message shared on social media, Modi said examination paper leaks had caused immense pain to lakhs of students and their parents and asserted that the government was determined to ensure such incidents were dealt with more effectively.

“This is not a minor issue. It has caused immense pain to lakhs of students and their parents,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said the government’s immediate priority after the alleged NEET paper leak was to ensure that students did not lose an academic year.

“Our foremost responsibility was to ensure that students did not lose an academic year. It was essential to conduct the examinations at the earliest,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government mobilised its full administrative machinery to conduct the re-examination for nearly 2.2 million students, adding that the results were declared on July 19.

“The government used its full capacity to organise the exams for nearly 2.2 million students in the shortest possible time. Just five or six days ago, on the 19th, the results were declared, and reports of successful candidates celebrating their achievements have been coming in from across the country,” he said.

Modi said the government had already taken action against those involved in the alleged paper leak, with several accused arrested and jailed, but stressed that those measures alone were not enough.

“But we are not the kind of people who are satisfied with just that. Therefore, today I directed the departments to prepare provisions for fast-track courts,” he said.

According to the Prime Minister, officials worked through the day to prepare the draft legislation, which was submitted to him late on Thursday.

“The draft law includes provisions for fast-track courts and stringent punishment. It will be discussed in the Cabinet tomorrow. After incorporating the suggestions of Cabinet colleagues, the Bill will be given its final shape,” he said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-modi-says-more-strict-actions-against-paper-leaks-will-be-announced-in-cabinet-meet-on-friday-2954829-2026-07-24

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike in support of students protesting against irregularities in competitive examinations. He was shifted to Medanta Hospital after spending several days on the fast, with doctors advising close monitoring of his health.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his 26-day hunger strike after weeks of negotiations with the Centre, doing the same in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh after being assured that the accountability of paper leaks in India will be discussed by all political parties in Parliament.

Visuals from the hospital showed Jitendra Singh helping Wangchuk sit up on his bed while Nadda offered him his first sip from a cup to end the fast. Wangchuk’s wife, Gitanjali Angmo, was by his side during the emotional moment.

“I’m grateful and happy to break my fast. Thank you,” Wangchuk said before turning to his wife and adding, “Gitanjali has always been by my side. I don’t want to thank you but express my feelings.”

According to sources, Nadda and Singh met Wangchuk after discussions with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The activist formally ended his fast following the meeting.

Shortly afterwards, Wangchuk confirmed the development in a post on X, saying he had broken his fast after “long negotiations” and because of concerns that the agitation could turn violent.

“Just now, in the presence of Union Ministers JP Nadda and Dr Jitendra Singh and the senior leaders of the Apex Body of Leh Ladakh, I finally broke my fast after 26 days,” he wrote.

Just now in the presence of Union Ministers Sh. JP Nadda, Dr. Jitendra Singh and the senior leaders of Apex Body of Leh Ladakh I finally broke my fast after 26 days. Earlier 65 members of parliament from different political parties had visited or signed letters urging me to break… pic.twitter.com/RFCet7Oksy

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 23, 2026

Wangchuk said 65 Members of Parliament from different political parties had either visited him or appealed to him to end his fast.

“This was done after a long negotiation on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country. I will explain the conditions in detail in a separate video very soon,” he said.

Even as he ended the fast, Wangchuk urged supporters to keep the movement peaceful. “Meanwhile, I urge you all to stay very vigilant about not allowing violence of any kind anywhere,” he said.

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Wangchuk a speedy recovery and urged him to follow doctors’ advice.

“I urge Sonam ji to follow his routine as per the doctors’ advice and regain his old weight as soon as possible. I pray to the Lord that Sonam ji remains healthy,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

मैं सोनम जी से आग्रह करता हूँ की वो डॉक्टरों की सलाह के अनुसार अपनी दिनचर्या रखें और जल्द से जल्द अपना पुराना वज़न फिर से प्राप्त करें।

मैं प्रभु से प्रार्थना करता हूँ कि सोनम जी स्वस्थ रहें।@Wangchuk66 @GitanjaliAngmo

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2026

Wangchuk began his indefinite hunger strike on June 28 after joining the student-led agitation at Jantar Mantar over the alleged NEET paper leak. The movement, spearheaded by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), has been demanding sweeping education reforms, accountability over examination irregularities and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Last week, Wangchuk was removed from the protest site and admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital. He refused to end his fast there, following which his wife approached the Delhi High Court, alleging inadequate medical care. The court later permitted his transfer to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. Doctors had said Wangchuk had lost around 11 kg during the course of his hunger strike.

PEACE APPEAL BEFORE ENDING FAST

Hours before ending his fast, Wangchuk appealed for calm, saying he was deeply concerned by reports that “anti-social elements” were attempting to provoke violence while the protests at Jantar Mantar had remained peaceful.

“Peace and only peace is my way,” he wrote on X, urging supporters not to respond with violence “no matter what the other side does”.

DAY 26
PEACE & ONLY PEACE IS MY WAY…
While at Jantar Mantar the protests remain peaceful I’m pained to learn that elsewhere some antisocial elements are taking advantage of the peaceful protests to provoke violence.
No matter what the other side does our response must only be…

— Sonam Wangchuk (@Wangchuk66) July 23, 2026

GOVERNMENT STEPS UP RESPONSE

Wangchuk’s decision to end his fast came hours after the Centre unveiled a series of measures aimed at addressing concerns over the alleged NEET paper leak.

Late on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Union Cabinet would discuss a draft law providing for fast-track courts and stricter punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks. In a video message, Modi said the government had already ensured that students did not lose an academic year by conducting the re-examination and declaring the results, but stressed that it was “not satisfied” with those steps alone.

He said the proposed legislation, which includes provisions for speedy trials and tougher penalties, would be finalised after Cabinet approval and introduced in Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sonam-wangchuk-ends-hunger-strike-after-meeting-union-ministers-jp-nadda-jitendra-singh-2954843-2026-07-24

 

 

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India “categorically rejects the baseless and unwarranted comments” by Dar.

India on Thursday accused Pakistan of using a multilateral gathering to spread falsehoods and divert attention from its record of sponsoring terrorism after Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar raised the Kashmir issue and suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty at an Asean-related meeting in the Philippines.

Dar, who is also Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, sought global support to resolve conflicts in South Asia and said the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty has to be handled through dialogue and adherence to international law while addressing the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) ministerial meeting in Manila. India was represented at the meet by external affairs minister S Jaishankar.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India “categorically rejects the baseless and unwarranted comments” by Dar.

“It is no surprise that a multilateral forum has once again been cynically exploited by Pakistan to amplify falsehoods, peddle state-sponsored disinformation, and divert attention from its own well-documented record of sponsoring cross-border terrorism,” Jaiswal said in a statement.

The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “have been, are and will always” be integral and inalienable parts of India, and Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on these issues, he said.

Jaiswal said India’s position on the Indus Waters Treaty is consistent – the pact “stands in abeyance in response to Pakistan’s continued sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, including the dastardly Pahalgam attack”. The treaty will be held in abeyance “until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism”.

India strongly condemns Pakistan’s practice of propagating “officially sponsored disinformation, often dressed in religious terminology such as the use of terms like ‘Fitna al-Hindustan’”, Jaiswal said, referring to a term often used by Pakistani officials to describe terror groups they claim are backed by New Delhi.

“This is a futile attempt by the Pakistani establishment to deflect attention from its own internal crises and its well-proven role as a safe haven for global terrorist networks,” Jaiswal said. Instead of pointing fingers at neighbours and misusing international platforms, Pakistan should dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil and put its own house in order, he said.

During his speech at the ARF meeting, Dar said the Kashmir issue is “at the heart of regional instability” in South Asia and sought a peaceful settlement in line with the UN Charter, Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/brunch/rude-food-by-vir-sanghvi-finally-actual-punjabi-food-is-having-a-moment-101784831027999.html

Neither the BNSS nor the BNS contains any provision mandating body-worn cameras or compulsory videography of crowd-control operations.

Allegations of police brutality during the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in Delhi have once again brought into focus a recurring constitutional and legal question: How much force can the police legally use to disperse a protest?

While Indian law empowers the police to maintain public order, courts have repeatedly emphasised that those powers are bounded by the Constitution and the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.

But the legal framework remains fragmented. Even as the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) confers the power to disperse unlawful assemblies, the operational protocols for crowd control, including lathi-charge, use of tear gas, recording of operations and deployment procedures, are largely governed by state police laws, police manuals and executive standing orders, resulting in varying practices across jurisdictions. As a result, several crucial questions relating to the use of force and accountability continue to be resolved on a case-by-case basis.

A right to protest, but not without limits

The starting point is the Constitution. Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression, while Article 19(1)(b) protects the right to assemble peacefully and without arms. Neither right, however, is absolute.

Under Articles 19(2) and 19(3), the State may impose reasonable restrictions in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State and public order.

It is this constitutional balance that informs India’s public order laws. In Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan Vs Union of India (2018), the Supreme Court held that the right to protest is a cherished constitutional freedom, but must coexist with the rights of other citizens.

Two years later, in Amit Sahni Vs Commissioner of Police (2020), arising out of the Shaheen Bagh protests, the court reiterated that while dissent is integral to democracy, public ways and roads cannot be occupied indefinitely.

The law, therefore, does not permit either extreme — neither a blanket prohibition on peaceful protests nor an unrestricted right to demonstrate regardless of its impact on public order.

When can the police intervene?

The primary statutory framework today is the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS).

The most frequently invoked preventive provision is Section 163 BNSS, the successor to the erstwhile Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). It empowers an executive magistrate to issue prohibitory orders in urgent cases where there is sufficient ground to prevent obstruction, danger to human life, disturbance of public tranquility or a riot. Such orders often prohibit assemblies of five or more people, processions or movement in specified areas.

If an assembly nevertheless becomes unlawful or refuses to disperse, Sections 148 to 151 of the BNSS (corresponding to the earlier Sections 129 to 132 CrPC) empower an Executive Magistrate or, in certain situations, a police officer in charge, to command the assembly to disperse. If the order is disobeyed, the assembly may be dispersed by force and, in exceptional situations, with the assistance of the armed forces in accordance with the safeguards prescribed under the law.

Significantly, while BNSS authorises the use of force, it does not define the degree of force that may be employed or prescribe a graduated response mechanism. Instead, it merely contemplates the use of such force as may be necessary to disperse the assembly, leaving the contours of that power largely to judicial interpretation.

In situations where violence breaks out, offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), such as rioting, unlawful assembly, assault on public servants or obstruction of public servants in discharge of duty, may also be invoked depending on the facts of each case.

What has the Supreme Court said?

Although Parliament has never enacted a comprehensive statutory framework governing police use of force during protests, constitutional courts have gradually evolved one through precedent.

The most authoritative pronouncement remains the Supreme Court’s decision in Ramlila Maidan Incident Vs Home Secretary, Union of India (2012), which examined the midnight police crackdown on protesters led by yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

The court held that even where an assembly is unlawful or prohibitory orders are in force, police action must satisfy the constitutional test of necessity and proportionality. The objective of force is to restore public order — not to punish protesters. The State, the court underlined, cannot use force that is excessive or disproportionate to the threat faced.

The court unequivocally condemned the police action as an “abuse of power” and an “invasion of liberties”. Beyond a mere declaration, it ordered both departmental and criminal proceedings against police personnel found responsible for acts including brick-throwing, lathicharge, and the excessive use of tear gas. It further directed that interim compensation be paid to those injured in the crackdown,

The judgment highlighted that police authorities are expected to attempt peaceful dispersal before resorting to coercive measures, issue adequate warnings through public address system wherever circumstances permit, and employ only the minimum force reasonably necessary to achieve the lawful objective. Excessive force, the court held, may amount to an infringement of Article 21, which guarantees protection of life and personal liberty.

This principle has since become the touchstone against which courts evaluate allegations of police excesses during demonstrations.

Videography, identification of personnel and accountability

One of the recurring criticisms following almost every major protest concerns the difficulty in identifying individual police personnel allegedly involved in acts of excessive force. Unlike several other jurisdictions, India has no central statute requiring every police officer deployed for crowd control to wear visible identification numbers or individually traceable markings while performing riot-control duties.

Similarly, neither the BNSS nor the BNS contains any provision mandating body-worn cameras or compulsory videography of crowd-control operations.

Videography today is governed largely through executive instructions, police manuals and administrative standard operating procedures, which vary across states and police forces. Courts have nevertheless increasingly recognised the evidentiary value of such recordings. In the ongoing litigation concerning the Delhi protests, the Delhi High Court has directed the police to preserve video footage and related records while considering petitions alleging police brutality.

The legal position on uniforms is equally nuanced. While police service rules generally require personnel to perform official duties in prescribed uniform unless exempted for operational reasons, there is no specific statutory provision that expressly mandates uniformed deployment during every protest-control operation. Plain-clothes deployments, intelligence gathering and specialised operations continue to remain administrative exceptions. These gaps often complicate efforts to establish individual accountability when allegations of excessive force arise.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/decoding-police-powers-rights-of-protesters-and-law-on-use-of-force-cjp-protest-jantar-mantar-delhi-police-brutality-101784855034938.html

The Uttarakhand Technical University found that a BTech question paper was allegedly shared via WhatsApp before the exam, prompting cancellation of two semester papers and disciplinary action against an assistant professor.

The Uttarakhand Technical University (UTU) has cancelled two engineering exams after an investigation revealed that the question papers for two BTech semester examinations were leaked before the exam commenced.

As per the university, the paper leak is linked to Shivalik College of Engineering, Dehradun. A probe revealed that the question paper was allegedly circulated among students through WhatsApp and an online portal before the examination. Following the findings, UTU cancelled examinations for the two subjects and arrested the accused assistant professor. The accused professor has also been barred from all examination-related work for the next seven years.

The leak came to notice after the university received an email alleging that the BTech third-year, second-semester examination paper had been leaked. According to police, the questions had allegedly been shared on 3 July, several days before the examination held on 8 July. Upon receiveing the mail, the varsity immediately launched an investigation into the matter, which revealed that the question paper for ‘Machine Learning for Internet of Things’ was leaked before the examination and shared with students via WhatsApp and an online portal.

The university also grew suspicious of the ‘Electromagnetic Field Theory’ question paper. Although a leak could not be conclusively established, UTU cancelled the examination as a precautionary measure to maintain the integrity of the examination process.

On the basis of the inquiry conducted, the university has barred Assistant Professor Dr Ashish Kumar Gupta from all examination-related duties for seven years. It is also believed that the question paper only reached a few students, the university still decided to completely re-conduct the exam.

Students were directed by the Dean and faculty advisor to take down posts related to Jantar Mantar protests and hunger strikes.

As students’ protests across the country continued in different ways, such as raising slogans, expressing views on banners, and making short videos, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras asked students to take down the videos posted on their Instagram accounts.

An IIT Madras student, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The university asked us to take down the Instagram videos in support of the student protests.”

The student shared that they were asked by the Dean to follow the directions. “Guys, we were asked by the Dean to take down the posts related to the Jantar Mantar protests. Our faculty advisor was called. We will be taking down those posts, including the solidarity video. Since you guys had contributed to the video, we thought it was important to let you know,” reads a message received by an IIT Madras student.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/education/iit-madras-asks-students-to-take-down-instagram-videos-supporting-jantar-mantar-protests-11810461?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Bryan Johnson announced he had cloned himself as a newborn with ‘baby-Bryan’ living in a Petri dish, for now.

Bryan Johnson, the US tech entrepreneur looking to defy death, has claimed that he has created a ‘clone’ of himself that can be used to repair his body. Johnson, 48, who is known for spending millions of dollars on longevity research and rigorous health monitoring, announced in a social media post that he had cloned himself as a newborn with ‘baby-Bryan’ living in a Petri dish — for now.

Johnson claimed that using this clone, he could become his own blood boy, test therapies, grow organs for transplantation, develop new treatments and inject young cells.

“This baby-Bryan lives in a petri dish for now. This may be scary to some people, a dystopian future. But, for others, they will see it as the inevitable future of health,” said Johnson in an X (formerly Twitter) post.

Highlighting that this technology was already in clinical trial phase to restore dopamine neurons for Parkinson’s and other health conditions, Johnson explained that the process involved drawing his blood, extracting the cells and restoring them in an embryonic-like state.

“This technology gives us a path to reverse ageing. I mentioned getting diagnosed with an incurable disease is one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time. It’s opened up a frontier of new paths to repair and strengthen the body. This is the first example,” he said.

Check The Viral Post Here:

I just cloned myself…as a newborn

With this clone, I can:

+ become my own blood boy
+ test therapies on the clone
+ grow organs for transplantation
+ develop new treatments
+ inject young cells

This baby-bryan lives in a petri dish for now.

This may be scary to some… pic.twitter.com/Ved8ij9Col

— Bryan Johnson (@bryan_johnson) July 21, 2026

Johnson’s Autoimmune Diagnosis

Johnson made headlines last month after revealing that he has Autoimmune Gastritis (AIG), a rare autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the stomach.

Although there is currently no cure for the condition, he said he intends to “try and solve it” using a combination of medical monitoring and experimental therapies.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/i-cloned-myself-as-a-newborn-bryan-johnsons-petri-dish-plan-to-become-his-own-blood-boy-11813178?pfrom=home-ndtv_lateststories

 

Naib Risaldar Virender Singh suffered a severe brain stroke while deployed in the harsh high-altitude conditions of Ladakh at 16,000 feet

In a poignant testament to the spirit of military service, a serving Indian Army soldier has saved or restored the lives of six individuals across the country. Naib Risaldar Virender Singh suffered a severe brain stroke while deployed in the harsh high-altitude conditions of Ladakh at 16,000 feet. Despite immediate evacuation and advanced medical intervention at the Command Hospital (Western Command) in Chandimandir, he could not be revived and was subsequently declared brain dead.

Amid overwhelming personal grief, his wife, Kusum, along with his family, made the extraordinary decision to donate his organs. The selfless gesture transformed a tragic loss into a lifeline for multiple critically ill patients waiting for organ transplants.

Precision Logistics and Inter-Agency Coordination

Translating the family’s noble decision into successful transplants required a race against time across multiple cities and state jurisdictions. The medical team at Command Hospital retrieved his lungs, liver, two kidneys, and both corneas.

The complex distribution was managed through a seamless national organ-sharing network:

• Lungs: Transported to KIMS in Hyderabad, marking the first-ever lung retrieval carried out by the Chandimandir facility.
• Liver: Flown directly to the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in New Delhi for a waiting recipient.
• Kidneys: One kidney was transplanted locally at Command Hospital, while the second was allocated to Haryana via the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO).
• Corneas: Preserved at Command Hospital to restore vision for two visually impaired individuals.

To ensure viable transit windows, a dedicated green corridor was established with synchronisation between military police, civil administration, and local traffic authorities.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/a-soldiers-last-mission-indian-army-jco-gives-gift-of-life-to-6-people-after-being-declared-brain-dead-10230605.html

The primary objective of the meeting is to address the ongoing student-led protests and grievances surrounding the NEET exam controversy.

A high-level meeting between Union ministers and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) delegation is scheduled for Friday after 12 pm, with senior leadership from the Centre set to represent the government during the talks, sources told CNN-News.

According to the source, the meeting will focus on addressing the ongoing student-led protests and grievances surrounding the NEET exam controversy, as the government looks to open dialogue and find a way forward in the standoff.

Sources further said the Centre is extending its dialogue efforts to ease tensions and reach a breakthrough. The government is also aiming for an early resolution to minimise disruptions and ensure the smooth functioning of Parliament during the ongoing session.

While the CJP delegation is seeking concrete action on student concerns, government sources indicate that ministers will urge an end to the street protests as talks proceed.

CJP calls for dialogue at ‘neutral venue’

The development comes after the CJP earlier today called for nationwide peaceful protests on Friday, urging people to hold demonstrations in every district. The party had rejected the government’s earlier offer for talks, maintaining that any dialogue should take place only at a neutral venue.

The CJP said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on action against paper leaks did not address its demand for accountability or its call for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak controversy.

The government had made another attempt to hold discussions, with Union minister Jitendra Singh saying a meeting could be arranged either at Union Health Minister JP Nadda’s official residence or office.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/union-ministers-to-hold-high-level-talks-with-cjp-delegation-tomorrow-over-student-protests-neet-row-10230431.html

DU warned that participating in such demonstrations could pose “serious risks to students’ personal safety” and also affect “academic progress and professional opportunities”.

The University of Delhi (DU) has issued an advisory asking students and faculty members to stay away from Jantar Mantar and avoid taking part in unauthorised assemblies and demonstrations.

In a post shared on X on Thursday, the university urged students to prioritise their safety and follow the law. It also warned that unlawful gatherings at Jantar Mantar, which are regulated under Supreme Court directives, could lead to legal action.

“Dear students and faculty, your safety matters to us. Please note that any unlawful assemblies or demonstrations at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi,” the university said.

It added that participating in such demonstrations could pose “serious risks to students’ personal safety” and also affect students’ “academic progress and professional opportunities”.

DU further urged students to “stay away from Jantar Mantar” and “prioritise their safety and compliance with the law”.

“Furthermore, you are advised to exercise caution as a significant amount of fake and misleading content is being created and circulated to fuel the situation,” it added.

CJP Protest Continues

The advisory comes amid the continuing protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

The CJP launched its sit-in protest on June 20, demanding accountability over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, reforms to the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The protest gathered momentum after thousands of people joined demonstrations demanding action over the leak of the NEET medical entrance examination paper.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/prioritise-safety-du-asks-students-to-stay-away-from-jantar-mantar-amid-ongoing-protests-ws-l-10230613.html

This dual-track approach raises critical questions about political synergy, opposition unity, and public message clarity

The political battlegrounds in India are witnessing a complex dynamic as parallel protests led by Rahul Gandhi and the Indian National Congress run alongside the ongoing movement organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination. While multi-pronged opposition strategies can sometimes amplify public grievances, this dual-track approach raises critical questions about political synergy, opposition unity, and public message clarity.

The Case for Amplification and Mutual Support

From a strategic perspective, parallel movements can create a broader umbrella of resistance against the ruling establishment. When major opposition figures like Rahul Gandhi mobilise their cadre simultaneously, it brings significant national media coverage and political weight to shared grievances.

By running complementary campaigns, the Congress leadership can draw attention from pan-India rural and urban constituencies, effectively widening the reach of the issues raised by the CJP. Rather than diluting the cause, simultaneous demonstrations can sustain high-visibility political pressure across multiple regions, making it harder for the government to dismiss the agitation as a localised or single-issue dispute.

Furthermore, parallel agitations allow different political entities to target distinct demographic segments without forcing a rigid administrative merger of their cadres.

The Pitfalls of Fragmented Opposition Messaging

Conversely, running separate protest tracks risks fragmenting the narrative and confusing the electorate. When two distinct entities lead simultaneous movements without a unified command or joint declaration, public focus often shifts from the core issues to political optics and rivalry.

Key challenges arising from parallel protests include:

• Divided Media Attention: Split protest tracks force national media channels and observers to cover competing events, diluting the overall impact of the CJP’s core demand.
• Cadre Confusion: Ground-level workers from both parties may struggle with coordination, leading to logistical friction or competing local demonstrations that weaken grassroots momentum.
• Narrative Diversion: Opponents can easily exploit the lack of a formal joint front, framing the parallel protests as an internal power struggle for opposition leadership rather than a cohesive public movement.

When a high-profile national leader steps into a space where a regional or specialised party has built sustained ground traction, there is always a risk that the original movement’s unique identity gets subsumed into broader national partisan debates.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/delhi-double-act-does-rahul-gandhis-parallel-protest-help-or-hurt-cockroach-janta-party-movement-10228077.html

Wangchuk said he would end his hunger strike if the Centre gave an assurance that no punitive action would be taken against students and youth who participated in the protest.

Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday said he urged activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his indefinite fast during a visit to him at Medanta Hospital, adding that the Centre would respond to the open letter Wangchuk wrote after their meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Nadda said he and Union Minister Jitendra Singh had visited Wangchuk after he was shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta.

“We went to inquire about his well-being. He had been shifted from Safdarjung Hospital to Medanta. Since he was in the ICU, the environment there was very restricted. During our visit, we inquired about his health and well-being. We also requested him to break his fast, join the mainstream, and guide the children in the right direction,” Nadda said.

He added that the government remained open to dialogue on the issues raised by Wangchuk.

“Our government is open to discussions on all issues and is always willing to address them. Today, he wrote me an open letter. We will respond to that letter, and after responding, we will ensure that the talks move forward,” the minister said.

Earlier in the day, Wangchuk said he would end his indefinite hunger strike if the Centre gave an unequivocal assurance that no punitive or retaliatory action would be taken against students and youth who participated in the protest against the alleged examination irregularities.

In his letter addressed to Nadda and Jitendra Singh, Wangchuk said the two Union ministers had assured him during their meeting that the government would positively consider his demands for adequate compensation to the families of students who died by suicide following the alleged NEET paper leak, as well as a meaningful discussion in Parliament on examination irregularities, including the demand for accountability.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/jp-nadda-sonam-wangchuk-meeting-medanta-fast-open-letter-response-10228110.html

Kandula Jessie was selected from a highly competitive pool after nearly 12,000 girls from 108 countries registered for the programme.

In a remarkable achievement, 14-year-old Kandula Jessie, a Class 10 student at Zilla Parishad Girls High School (ZPGHS) in Andhra Pradesh’s Dhavaleswaram, has been selected as one of India’s 20 participants for Mission ShakthiSAT, the world’s first global all-girls lunar CubeSat mission.

Jessie, the daughter of a carpenter, was selected from a highly competitive pool after nearly 12,000 girls from 108 countries registered for the programme. She is the only student from Andhra Pradesh to make it to the final Indian contingent.

Jessie’s journey began when her Physical Science teacher and Atal Tinkering Lab in-charge, Manimala, noticed her interest in science and innovation and registered her for the programme last year. Inspired by the opportunity, Jessie also encouraged eight other girls from her school to apply.

However, the students later realised that the online coursework had already begun. Manimala contacted the programme coordinators and secured another opportunity for her students, enabling Jessie to continue in the selection process.

Balanced Class 10 Studies With Advanced Space Programme

Despite preparing for her Class 10 examinations, Jessie attended online classes every day after school and has already completed nearly 50 per cent to 60 per cent of the programme.

Mission ShakthiSAT includes around 550 sessions and 21 modules covering satellite systems, propulsion, thermodynamics and space technology. Jessie said many of the concepts were initially difficult because they were far more advanced than her school curriculum.

“I found many concepts difficult initially because they were far more advanced than what we study in school, but I continued attending the classes every day,” Jessie told The Times of India (TOI).

Improved English For International Interview

The selection process included online learning modules, a one-hour interview with scientists and programme coordinators, and a one-minute video explaining the significance of Mission ShakthiSAT and STEM education.

Since the interview was conducted entirely in English with international experts, Jessie worked on improving her communication skills with the help of her teachers and educational videos.

“I was nervous while speaking to international scientists. I never imagined that a government school student like me would be selected,” she told TOI.

Family’s Proud Moment

Praising her student, Manimala said Jessie has always been one of the most active members of the school’s Atal Tinkering Lab and has consistently participated in science activities and competitions.

Jessie’s mother, Aruna, said financial constraints had forced the family to shift her from a private school to a government school.

“My husband is a carpenter, and we have faced many hardships. Watching our daughter speak confidently with international scientists was one of the proudest moments of our lives,” she told TOI.

Training In Delhi From August 23

The next phase of the programme will begin in New Delhi on August 23 and will include practical training and National Space Day celebrations. Jessie said she is excited to participate in the event, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present.

During the training, she will work with scientists on satellite design, payload development, and mission operations. The student-built lunar CubeSat is scheduled to be launched from Sriharikota on October 11.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/education/carpenters-daughter-from-andhra-pradesh-selected-for-global-lunar-satellite-mission-11807129?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) 10 deaths were reported on Wednesday taking the toll in the state to 41.

The flood situation in Assam has worsened as the government confirmed 41 deaths on Wednesday with the Indian Air Force and the army helping state authorities with rescue work even as over 727,000 people remain affected across 25 districts of the northeastern state.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) 10 deaths were reported on Wednesday taking the toll in the state to 41.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that over 100 persons are missing and the death toll may rise in the next three to four days.

Officials said over 727,000 people across 25 districts have been affected by the flood.

Sarma visited flood-affected districts, including Charaideo and Sivasagar and said that the primary reason for this year’s floods is the heavy flow of water from the neighbouring Nagaland.

“We have never seen this kind of flood and, as per our assessment, the heavy flow of water from Nagaland is the primary reason. We are going to assess what went wrong in the neighbouring state and will take appropriate steps in the future,” he said.

Officials said that the state government has set up 469 relief camps where 18,000 people have taken shelter across the 25 flood-hit districts.

The Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Assam Rifles, and Fire and Emergency Services have been deployed to carry out a massive rescue and relief operation across the affected districts, the officials said.

The Army said that under Operation ‘Jal Rahat’, it has rescued more than 700 stranded people. It said that on requests from the civil administration, four specialised flood relief columns from the Red Shield Division under the Spear Corps have been deployed in the flood-hit districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo and Jorhat.

State authorities said that IAF choppers are being used in rescue operations while drone surveillance is being carried out to assess the flood situation and identify areas requiring immediate assistance.

“This morning, IAF carried out three sorties, airdropping 627 kg of relief supplies to stranded families in Nazira. Our teams remain on the ground, reaching every family with essential relief,” chief minister Sarma said on X.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it rescued a large number of elderly people stranded in the floods and shifted them to safer areas.

Several roads remain submerged, rail services have been been disrupted in the Simaluguri section and rescue teams are relying on boats to reach marooned villages. According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), more than 30 trains have been rescheduled or cancelled after tracks were damaged in various parts, including Mariani.

The India Meteorological Department has forecast further rainfall over parts of Upper Assam and the state government authorities said that they are strengthening the rescue and relief operations further with the support of central and state forces.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/assam-flood-death-toll-situation-remains-grim-41-killed-so-far-over-727k-affected-rescue-relief-himanta-biswa-sarma-101784767123967.html

Rahul Gandhi claimed that since the BJP-led NDA government came to power in 2014, there had been 152 paper leaks.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that Delhi Police personnel, who “dragged” him away from the Opposition’s protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, asked him to “remove this government.”

At a press conference, Gandhi was asked about his detention on Tuesday, when Opposition leaders staged a sit-in to protest near Lok Kalyan Marg against the police crackdown on student protesters and the NEET paper leaks.

“The police dragged me and took me away, but were whispering in my ear to remove this government,” claimed the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

“One said, ‘I am from Rajasthan, inko hataiye (remove them).’ ‘We are just wearing the uniform.’ Another one was saying, ‘I am from Haryana, inko hataiye.’ So this is the sentiment towards (the government). And people feel the truth,” Gandhi said at the press briefing held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters.

आज हर छात्र कह रहा है, पुलिसवाले कह रहे हैं, पूरा देश कह रहा है – मोदी सरकार को जाना पड़ेगा।

विपक्ष के नेता के रूप में मेरी ज़िम्मेदारी हर भारतीय की आवाज़ बनना है – और उसके लिए हर कीमत छोटी है। pic.twitter.com/uSLu9Py3F5

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 22, 2026

‘Happy’ to take many more punches: Gandhi

The Congress leader claimed “a couple of punches” was not a problem for him. “I am supposed to bring attention to where pain is being felt. These are very small costs. These are not big costs. This is a huge honour for me to be able to stand with the wishes of my people. So a couple of punches and all, this is not a problem at all. I am happy to take many more,” he added.

“We felt that if the students of India are on the streets, then the Opposition should also be on the streets,” he said. “This is a crime that has been done to the future of our country. This is a crime that has been done to the people we love.”

Demand for Pradhan’s resignation

Gandhi said the Opposition demanded that Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over the examination irregularities and also asked PM Modi to apologise for the police action on students.

The July 20 protest, launched by the Cockroach Janta Party over the NEET paper leak, gathered momentum after activist Sonam Wangchuk began an indefinite hunger strike. The movement grew after Wangchuk was removed from Jantar Mantar and hospitalised by the police. The activist, later in a handwritten note, called it an “illegal detention.”

Cops also cracked down on a student march to Parliament on Monday. The Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel used lathis, tear gas and electric batons to disperse the crowd, HT reported earlier. Several students and security personnel were injured. They also alleged some protesters targeted media and security personnel during the march.

“It is a legitimate demand that Dharmendra Pradhan should resign. He has shown the nation and the world that he can’t run an education system. He is also incompetent and probably collusive in this drama… This man has to go,” Rahul Gandhi said.

He also demanded that police who lathi-charged at student protesters be held accountable. These were “non-negotiable” steps towards resolving the crisis, he said.

“Everyone who assaulted the students must be held accountable and the PM should apologise,” he said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/inko-hataiye-rahul-gandhi-claims-police-who-dragged-him-away-from-pm-residence-asked-him-to-remove-government-101784771353457.html

 

Protests in Mumbai continued for the third day as students, activists, and political parties rallied against NEET exam irregularities and police actions against protesters in Delhi. Demonstrators criticized the crackdown during a recent march towards Parliament, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Mumbai witnessed protests at several locations on Wednesday (July 22) for the third consecutive day as students, activists and political parties intensified their agitation over NEET exam irregularities and the police action against Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters in Delhi.

The protests were linked to the ongoing movement demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Demonstrators also criticised the crackdown on protesters and CJP supporters during their march towards Parliament in Delhi on July 21.

Vijeta Dahiya alleged he was made a “scapegoat” after being removed from the Cockroach Janta Party despite publicly defending founder Abhijeet Dipke during recent controversies. He claimed he faced heckling, received threats, and was expelled over the viral “burger incident.” CJP had not responded to the allegations at the time of writing.

Vijeta Dahiya has claimed that he was removed from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), alleging that he was made a “scapegoat” despite publicly defending party founder Abhijeet Dipke during a recent controversy.

Speaking about his dismissal, Dahiya said the decision left him heartbroken, especially as it came on the same day he faced heckling near Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protest site.

Recalling the events, he said he had received several calls and messages from friends checking on his safety after an altercation in which he claimed an individual identified as Manu Adi pushed and heckled him. According to Dahiya, he initially believed Dipke was calling to offer support.

Was Dahiya made a ‘Bali Ka Bakra’ by CJP?

Vijeta Dahiya, who defended Abhijeet Dipke during the samosa video drama, says he was casually told ‘You don’t need to come anymore’ after his burger clip went viral. pic.twitter.com/uI5kJN7QMs

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) July 22, 2026

“I thought Abhijeet had called to say, ‘Don’t worry, we’re in this together.’ Instead, I was told not to come because of the ‘burger incident’,” he said, referring to a controversy that had gained traction on social media.

Dahiya maintained that he had been actively involved in the protests, spending nights at the site in anticipation of a possible police crackdown. He said he participated in the protest march and later reached the Kerala House area, where he experienced burning in his eyes, which he attributed to tear gas.

He further claimed that when he questioned Dipke about the decision, he told him the issue had “gone viral.” In response, he reminded him that he had stood by him during an earlier controversy.

“I strongly defended Abhijeet. People were making allegations against him too, and I publicly defended him. I also received death threats and faced heckling because I countered what I believed was propaganda,” he said.

Dahiya alleged that despite his efforts over the past month to support the movement and defend the party’s leadership, he was ultimately sacrificed to contain the backlash.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/vijeta-dahiya-claims-he-was-fired-from-cjp-says-i-became-the-scapegoat-after-defending-abhijeet-dipke-video

 

Jammu and Kashmir Police Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi was killed after a terrorist attack near Lal Chowk in Anantnag on Tuesday. Officials said he was deployed for Amarnath Yatra security duty when he was shot. Security forces launched operations across south Kashmir, detaining suspected overground workers, while TRF claimed responsibility for the attack.

A head constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was shot dead by a terrorist in Anantnag on Tuesday, marking the first targeted attack on a police personnel in the Union Territory this year. The attack, which took place while the policeman was deployed on Amarnath Yatra security duty, has triggered a large-scale anti-terror operation across south Kashmir.

According to officials, Head Constable Ashiq Hussain of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) 3rd Battalion was attacked at around 12.30 pm near Lal Chowk in Anantnag. He sustained critical gunshot injuries and was rushed to the Government Medical College hospital in Anantnag, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Swift Crackdown After Attack Reflects Zero-Tolerance Approach

Officials said security forces immediately cordoned off the area and launched an extensive search operation to trace the assailant. Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat visited the attack site to assess the situation firsthand.

In what appears to be a strong response aimed at preventing any follow-up terror activity, security forces launched coordinated anti-terror operations across Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts. Dozens of suspected overground workers (OGWs) linked to terrorist networks were detained for questioning, PTI reports.

In Pulwama, police set up mobile checkpoints at several locations to monitor movement and prevent subversive activities. Additional Superintendent of Police Shafat Najar supervised frisking and search operations launched soon after the attack.

In Shopian, police carried out an extensive security and counter-terrorism operation to maintain law and order and prevent any attempt to disrupt peace. Similar operations were also conducted in Anantnag and neighbouring Kulgam district, with senior police officers monitoring the situation in all four districts.

Terror Strike Draws Strong Condemnation Across Political Spectrum

The Resistance Front (TRF), described by officials as a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility for the attack through a social media post.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the killing, calling it a “cowardly attack” and a “heinous act”. He said those responsible would not escape justice and confirmed that he had spoken to Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat to review the situation.

Expressing condolences to the slain policeman’s family, Sinha said the entire country stood with them and paid tribute to Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi for sacrificing his life in the line of duty.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/cop-on-amarnath-yatra-duty-killed-in-anantnag-terror-attack-massive-crackdown-across-south-kashmir

Sixteen Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, ITO and Khan Market, were closed on Thursday until further notice due to security concerns amid the ongoing CJP protest at Jantar Mantar. The DMRC said interchange facilities will continue at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat despite station closures.

Sixteen Delhi Metro stations, including Rajiv Chowk, Central Secretariat, Mandi House, ITO and Khan Market, were closed on Thursday morning till further instructions due to security reasons, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Sixteen metro stations, including Lok Kalyan Marg, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Ramakrishna Ashram Marg, Barakhamba Road, Supreme Court, Seva Teerth, Janpath, Mandi House, Central Secretariat, ITO, Delhi Gate, Indraprastha, Khan Market, Jor Bagh and Shivaji Stadium,… pic.twitter.com/YGu99QhqQs

— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2026

The development comes as the crowd swelled at the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar.

However, interchange facility shall remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat metro stations.

Service Update

Below mentioned Metro stations will be closed from 07:30 AM till further instructions. However, Interchange facility shall remain available at Rajiv Chowk, Mandi House and Central Secretariat.

1. Lok Kalyan Marg
2. Rajiv Chowk
3. Patel Chowk
4. Ramakrishna…

— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) July 23, 2026

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/delhi-metro-closes-16-key-stations-including-rajiv-chowk-central-secretariat-mandi-house-amid-security-alert-over-cjp-protest-at-jantar-mantar-video

A Head Constable, who was on Amarnath Yatra security duty, was shot while making a purchase at a shop after the assailant allegedly waited nearby with an assault rifle concealed in cloth.

Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched a massive anti-terror crackdown across the Kashmir Valley after a policeman on Amarnath Yatra security duty was shot dead in a targeted attack in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday. Officials said more than 1,000 suspected overground workers (OGWs) linked to terrorist groups were detained for questioning as security forces intensified operations to track down the assailant and dismantle terror support networks.

The attack was the first terror strike targeting police personnel in the Valley this year. Head Constable Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, a resident of Budgam district, was on Amarnath Yatra security duty when a lone terrorist, believed to be a Pakistani national, opened fire on him.

Qureshi sustained critical injuries and was rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital in Anantnag, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Officials said the Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy outfit of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the targeted attack in a social media post shortly after the incident.

According to officials, the assailant had been standing outside a shop with an assault rifle wrapped in cloth before carrying out the attack. Unaware of the terrorist’s intentions, the shopkeeper reportedly asked the man if he wanted to buy anything, as the policeman was making purchases at the shop.

The killing triggered an immediate security response, with Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat visiting the attack site for a first-hand assessment. Security forces cordoned off the area and launched extensive anti-terror operations.

The crackdown expanded across Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama, Kulgam, Shopian and Srinagar. Officials said nearly 700 of the more than 1,000 detainees were picked up in Srinagar alone.

A Srinagar police spokesperson said the operation was aimed at dismantling the ecosystem supporting terrorism.

“The coordinated operations, carried out on the basis of credible intelligence and as part of an ongoing investigation, resulted in detention of nearly 700 suspected OGWs for questioning and verification in accordance with established legal procedures,” the spokesperson said.

Police said the operations were intended to identify and neutralise networks providing logistical, financial, communication, transportation, shelter and other support to terrorist organisations.

In Pulwama, police established mobile checkpoints at several locations to prevent the movement of subversive elements, while Additional Superintendent of Police Shafat Najar supervised frisking and search operations.

In Shopian, police conducted a large-scale security and counter-terror operation to prevent any attempt to disturb peace and maintain a strong security grid. In Budgam, preventive raids led to the detention of more than 200 suspects, including OGWs, miscreants and narco-offenders, for questioning and verification, officials said.

Senior police officers personally monitored the intensified search operations across the affected districts as security forces remained on high alert throughout the Valley.

At the Anantnag police lines, officers from the police, Army and paramilitary forces paid tributes to the slain policeman by laying wreaths. The tricolour-draped coffin of Qureshi was later sent to his ancestral home in Budgam, where emotional scenes unfolded as his grieving family bid him a final farewell.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jammu-and-kashmir-police-anti-terror-crackdown-after-anantnag-policeman-killing-ptag-2953884-2026-07-23

More than 100 students at a government school in Bihar’s Supaul district fell ill after eating the mid-day meal, with some alleging a dead scorpion was found in the curry. Officials have ordered an investigation as doctors said the children were treated and are out of danger.

More than 100 students of a government school in Bihar’s Supaul district fell ill on Wednesday after consuming a mid-day meal, with students alleging that a dead scorpion was found in the potato-chickpea curry served to them.

The incident took place at Middle School Mirjawa in Ward 10 under Triveniganj police station area. Following complaints of illness among students, panic spread on the school campus, and the affected children were rushed to the Triveniganj Sub-Divisional Hospital in small vehicles and other available transport.

Doctors said all the students were receiving treatment and their condition was currently stable and out of danger.

STUDENTS REPORT SYMPTOMS AFTER EATING MEAL

According to students, rice and potato-chickpea curry were served as part of the mid-day meal on Wednesday. They alleged that a dead scorpion was found in the curry while they were eating, though many students had already consumed the food by then.

Soon after the meal, several children complained of throat irritation, stomach pain, vomiting, dizziness and uneasiness. Some students reportedly became weak, while others showed symptoms including vomiting and fainting.

School authorities and teachers immediately arranged medical assistance and shifted the affected students to the hospital.

PROBE ORDERED INTO ALLEGED CONTAMINATION

A protest once confined to a few thousand people has now swelled into a crowd too large to count accurately. Protesters say the July 20 lathi-charge and use of tear gas by Delhi Police and RAF personnel has transformed the frustration of students into anger, triggering a fresh wave of agitation at Jantar Mantar.

When the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) announced its protest in June, 26-year-old Aminul Hoque was among those following it from afar. Sitting in Assam, he amplified the movement online, believing that the students protesting over the NEET-UG paper leak were raising legitimate questions. With Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk joining the agitation and later announcing an indefinite hunger strike at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Hoque’s support only deepened.

But it wasn’t Wangchuk’s fast that finally brought him to Delhi. It was the videos from July 20.

As clips of Delhi Police lathi-charging protesters and firing tear gas shells during the CJP’s march towards Parliament spread across social media, Hoque made up his mind. Within two days, he had boarded a flight to the national capital.

“They attacked students who were protesting peacefully. I came here from Assam to show that they have messed with the wrong generation,” Hoque told India Today Digital at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, his voice carrying both anger and conviction.

Hoque’s journey reflects a broader transition unfolding at the protest site. For weeks, Jantar Mantar had witnessed a steady but manageable gathering of students and activists demanding accountability over the alleged examination irregularities and seeking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. The crowds rarely crossed a couple of thousands at any given time.

After Monday’s police action, that changed.

By Wednesday afternoon, nobody could count how many people, especially youths, were pouring into Jantar Mantar from different directions. The narrow roads leading from Sansad Marg and Tolstoy Road were packed with people making their way to the protest site. While the CJP organisers themselves struggled to estimate the numbers, one thing was evident on the ground. The protest had entered a new phase.

Many of those arriving at Jantar Mantar said they had not participated in the protest earlier. They came because of what they had watched on their phone screens over the past two days.

Walking through the crowd, one phrase surfaced repeatedly in conversations, speeches and slogans. “Baccho ko nahi maarna chahiye tha (Students should not have been beaten up)”.

HOW FRUSTRATION CHANGED TO ANGER AT JANTAR MANTAR

For many, the July 20 crackdown transformed frustration into anger. “What were the protesters asking?” Hoque asked. “They were seeking accountability. If students are beaten for asking questions, then more people will come out. It is time the government listens,” he told India Today Digital.

That sentiment was echoed by hundreds of young protesters gathered around the main stage and beyond.

“They thought students would be scared after the lathi-charge. But today they have been proven wrong,” said a 20-year-old BTech student from Delhi, watching volunteers distribute water bottles under the sweltering afternoon sun.

The student also said that the demand of students was simple.

“Students were asking for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as an act of accountability. You answer that with force instead of dialogue. Shame on you,” he said.

WHAT DELHI POLICE SAID ON LATHI-CHARGE AND TEAR GAS USE

The actions taken by Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel to disperse and fade the crowd ironically appeared to have had the opposite effect.

Instead of shrinking, the crowd had swelled. Instead of fading, the movement has found fresh momentum. The Delhi Police, however, maintains that its lathi-charge and tear gas actions were necessary.

According to them, more than 118 police personnel, including several senior officers, were injured during Monday’s protest while around 70 demonstrators were detained.

In an official statement, Delhi Police alleged that protesters displayed “unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour” despite repeated warnings and lawful directions to disperse. The statement said participants violated prohibitory orders, attempted to breach barricades, attacked police personnel with stones and other objects, vandalised police and government vehicles and damaged public property, creating a serious threat to law and order.

The competing narratives now define the movement. On one side stands the police account of a violent crowd that forced authorities to act. On the other are thousands of students who insist the crackdown itself has become the reason the protest is expanding. At Jantar Mantar, that divide is visible not only in speeches but also in the faces of those gathered.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE: PROTESTER’S MESSAGE TO DELHI POLICE

Amid thousands of protesters at the site, one protester stood quietly holding a handwritten placard that read, “Thank you for your love.” The words were sarcastic. Dark bruises stretched across his face, arms and shoulders. When asked about the injuries, he did not hesitate.

“This is their love towards me,” he told India Today Digital, alleging that the wounds were inflicted during the police action on July 20.

Around him, students photographed the placard before joining slogans against Delhi Police and the RAF. Every few minutes, chants demanding accountability rose from different corners of the protest site before merging into one loud chorus.

Unlike previous days, the atmosphere carried a different energy. There was visible anger, but there was also determination.

For several protesters, social media have become both witness and mobiliser. The same videos that documented the July 20 clashes had also persuaded many to leave their homes and come to Delhi.

That was perhaps the most striking transformation on the ground.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/cjp-protest-delhi-police-lathi-charge-tear-gas-anger-parliament-march-jantar-mantar-huge-crowd-2953801-2026-07-23

According to investigators, the 25-year-old accused was living with the boy’s mother in a live-in relationship after she separated from her husband. The woman had been staying with her youngest son at the accused’s house in Ambernath, while her two elder children lived with their father.

A seven-year-old boy died during treatment at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital after he was allegedly assaulted by his mother’s live-in partner in Maharashtra’s Ambernath. Police said the accused saw the child as an obstacle to his relationship with the boy’s mother and will now face a murder charge following the child’s death.

According to investigators, the 25-year-old accused was living with the boy’s mother in a live-in relationship after she separated from her husband. The woman had been staying with her youngest son at the accused’s house in Ambernath, while her two elder children lived with their father.

Police said the accused allegedly viewed the child as an obstacle to his relationship with the woman because the boy slept alongside his mother. Investigators claim that the child had been subjected to repeated physical abuse while his mother was away at work and had previously complained about the assaults to her. Police said the woman had warned the accused, but the alleged abuse continued.

On July 17, the accused allegedly assaulted the child with a rolling pin and repeatedly kicked him, causing severe internal injuries.

The boy was first taken to Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar before being shifted to Sion Hospital and later referred to Mumbai’s KEM Hospital as his condition deteriorated. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit.

Police said the accused initially tried to mislead investigators by claiming that unidentified persons had assaulted the child. However, inconsistencies in his statement prompted further questioning, during which investigators uncovered the alleged sequence of events.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/maharashtra-boy-dies-after-alleged-assault-by-mothers-live-in-partner-in-ambernath-2954061-2026-07-23

When pent-up youth anger propelled India’s Cockroach Janta Party to online fame in May, its founder said his supporters were disillusioned with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party and the opposition ​for failing to address their concerns.
Yet CJP leaders turned to opposition lawmakers and appealed directly for their support on Monday after police used batons and tear gas, to ‌disperse protesters marching on parliament to demonstrate against damaging exam leaks and corruption.

Opposition lawmakers were quick to oblige on Tuesday, after many young demonstrators were injured.
The show of solidarity with protesters could help opposition parties win valuable young voters and broaden the appeal of the CJP, which has so far focused on demanding the education minister’s resignation over the exam paper leaks.
Tens of thousands of protesters had turned out in Delhi, far more than expected, and images of ​the authorities’ crackdown spread across social media, prompting nearly all opposition parties to rally behind the movement, which has so far said it will keep out of electoral politics.

AN OPPORTUNITY ​TO GAIN THE YOUTH VOTE

Analysts said the wider political support for the CJP comes with risks for the movement: concerns central to students, such as ⁠preventing exam paper leaks and creating more youth jobs could be overshadowed by broader political agendas. But the backing could also help sustain them by providing resources, organisational support and a wider national ​platform.
For the opposition, which has lost many elections to Modi since he first took office in 2014 on the back of anti-corruption protests, India’s young people represent a significant political opportunity. Those under 30 ​are estimated to make up more than half of India’s 1.42 billion population, and many have long been frustrated by a lack of jobs under Modi despite years of strong economic growth.
India’s next parliamentary elections are due by April 2029, but key states like the most populous, Uttar Pradesh, run by Modi’s party, and Punjab, vote next year.

“I think the opposition has got a clear sense that there is a very strong sentiment against the government on ​this issue at least,” said Sanjay Kumar, professor at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, referring to the education minister.
“If the movement remains undirected … the chances of a further ​crackdown on the movement are much higher. So the opposition parties see it as an opportunity and they will try to develop a soft corner among the protesters.”
Some Indian broadcasters sympathetic to the government have already accused ‌the opposition ⁠of trying to hijack the movement for limelight.

‘JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON’

Congress leaders and lawmakers Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra protested outside Modi’s residence late on Tuesday, calling for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the leaks of exam papers for medical courses that affected millions of students and led to a retest.

“An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family,” Rahul said before he was detained by police. “PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time. The voice of India’s students will not be ignored.”
Modi has not spoken publicly about the paper leaks. ​A cabinet minister said after a meeting of ​the ruling coalition that Modi told them “strongest ⁠possible steps are being taken to protect the interest of the students”.
Many other senior opposition leaders visited protesters camped out in extreme heat about 3 km (1.86 miles) from parliament. Some lawmakers and senior politicians provided legal assistance to protesters detained by police, while others sent food and other supplies.
“There is ​now a one-upmanship among political parties over who can best position themselves as the champion of India’s youth,” said Rasheed Kidwai, political analyst and ​visiting fellow with the Observer ⁠Research Foundation.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-student-protests-give-opposition-rare-opening-against-modi-2026-07-21/

Sanjana shared the post by content creator Richa Oberoi on her Instagram Story. The original post read, “They tear-gassed a 6-year-old. If this doesn’t outrage you, nothing will.” The author then narrated the incident of witnessing a young boy around 6-year-old running with his mother after spending several hours near the protest area.

Indian pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah’s wife and sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan re-shared an emotional post on social media on Tuesday which alleged that a 6-year-old child was choked on tear gas amid the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Delhi on Monday (July 20). The viral social media post claimed that the small child was away from the main protest site, however, the kid was affected by tear gas.

Sanjana shared the post by content creator Richa Oberoi on her Instagram Story. The original post read, “They tear-gassed a 6-year-old. If this doesn’t outrage you, nothing will.” The author then narrated the incident of witnessing a young boy around 6-year-old running with his mother after spending several hours near the protest area.

She said that the child and his mother were standing near Patel Chowk Metro when the tear gas was allegedly fired to disperse the crowd of students. She then stated in the post that the boy’s eyes turned red and his mother was repeatedly wiping them with her dupatta. The mother then asked the kid to stand against a wall while keeping his eyes closed and avoid looking around.

The social media post further mentions that the mother returned to the protest despite her child was affected due to the tear gas and continued raising slogans while trying to protect him. The post called the moment “the image that has stayed with me all day” and described it as “just a mother trying to protect her child while refusing to give up her voice.”

The post questioned the use of force during the protests, asking, “What kind of government sees a crowd and responds with tear gas before seeing the people in it?” It also said, “What kind of policing forgets that children, families, and ordinary citizens exist beyond a barricade?”

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/delhi-protests-jasprit-bumrahs-wife-sanjana-ganesan-re-shares-emotional-post-on-alleged-tear-gas-choking-incident-of-6-yr-old-child

Fresh incidents of stone pelting were reported during protests by NEET-UG aspirants in Delhi’s Connaught Place on Tuesday. Protesters damaged police barricades as tensions escalated. Police were deployed in large numbers and appealed for peace, urging miscreants to stay away. No official confirmation on injuries, detentions or damage has been issued so far.

Fresh incidents of stone pelting were reported in the Connaught Place (CP) area of the national capital on Tuesday as protests by NEET-UG aspirants intensified, prompting a heavy police deployment to maintain law and order.

According to reports, a section of protesters allegedly resorted to stone pelting while police personnel repeatedly appealed to people to refrain from violence and maintain peace. Authorities also urged “hooligans” to stay away from the protest and avoid escalating the situation.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/fresh-stone-pelting-reported-as-neet-ug-protest-turns-violent-in-new-delhi-video

Panshul Bansal, who secured All India Rank 2 with a 99.9999 percentile in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, told NDTV that the cancellation of the original examination initially left him disappointed.

Panshul Bansal, who was among the toppers in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, said as protests raged over the paper leak, he chose to stay at home and study.

Bansal, who secured All India Rank 2 with a 99.9999 percentile in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination, told NDTV that while the cancellation of the original examination initially left him disappointed, he eventually saw it as an opportunity to improve his performance.

“I thought, why should I go to the protest? Instead, I could be studying at home and improving my skills and improving my score,” Bansal told NDTV’s Shiv Aroor.

His remarks come at a time when protests have intensified, with thousands of students taking to the streets and opposition parties demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Bansal, a student of KR Mangalam World School, in New Delhi’s Greater Kailash, scored 715 marks in the re-examination.

The original NEET-UG examination for admission to undergraduate medical courses was held on May 3, but was cancelled on May 12 after allegations that the question paper had been leaked. The CBI is investigating the leak.

A fresh examination was conducted on June 21 under heightened security arrangements, and the results were declared on July 16.

Recalling his reaction when the first examination was cancelled, Bansal said he initially felt “despair and sadness”.

“Initially, I had a feeling of despair and sadness. But after one or two hours, I looked at it from a positive perspective and got motivated and determined to do better this time,” he said.

Bansal revealed that he had scored around 706 marks in the original examination before improving to 715 in the re-test.

Asked what changed during the additional weeks of preparation, he said he did not alter his routine.

“I did not change anything in my schedule. I simply followed the same routine. I just felt that in the last one-and-a-half months I had to give everything I could and leave the rest to God,” Bansal told NDTV.

Initially, he questioned why the examination had been cancelled, particularly when he believed he had performed well enough to secure admission to a government medical college.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/neet-ug-2026-why-go-to-protest-when-i-could-study-improve-my-score-neet-topper-to-ndtv-11803098?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Police have arrested Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary for allegedly pushing Ketan Agarwal off a cliff at Lohagad Fort. Investigators say the killing was plotted over weeks to look like an accident and stop Goyal’s marriage.

Police have arrested 20-year-old Siya Goyal and her alleged lover, 22-year-old Chetan Chaudhary, in connection with the June 18 death of 26-year-old realtor Ketan Agarwal, who was allegedly pushed off a cliff at Lohagad Fort near Pune. Investigators said the two had first discussed injuring Agarwal to delay his upcoming marriage to Goyal, but later decided to kill him.

According to police, the urgency grew because Goyal and Agarwal were due to travel to Bali in early June. The accused allegedly wanted Agarwal’s death to look like an accident, and discussed several possible ways to do this before deciding that pushing him off a cliff would be the best option.

A police officer said the second stage of the plan involved looking for a suitable location. The two allegedly visited and assessed several high-altitude spots, including Tiger Point in Lonavala and Visapur Fort, before settling on Lohagad Fort. “The accused had explored multiple locations, including Tiger Point, Visapur Fort and a few other forts in the region, before settling on Lohagad Fort. They exchanged photographs of these places and assessed which location would best suit their objective of making the death appear accidental while leaving behind no evidence,” the official said.

Investigators said the conspiracy developed over several weeks through repeated discussions, reconnaissance visits and online searches. Police said Goyal and Chaudhary saw Agarwal as an obstacle in their relationship and were worried about what would happen after her marriage. “Goyal didn’t want to elope as she didn’t wish to bring disrepute to her family or embarrass Agarwal’s family. They initially looked for ways to prevent the marriage from taking place,” the officer said. He added that the pair initially discussed causing injuries to Agarwal in an apparent accident so that the wedding would be postponed, but dropped that idea. Police also said no contract killing angle has emerged so far.

Police said the Bali trip made them move faster. “Goyal and Agarwal were scheduled to spend eight days together in Bali after flying out on June 6. When they realised that the idea to harm Agarwal somehow was not feasible, they decided to execute the plan themselves. They feared that if Agarwal survived and got wind of their conspiracy, he would expose them. That is when they allegedly decided to eliminate him,” the officer said. Investigators said the two watched suspense films, searched the internet and discussed different methods before deciding that pushing him off a cliff would most closely resemble an accident.

According to police, Goyal had already visited Lohagad Fort with Agarwal on May 31 in what investigators believe was a reconnaissance trip. “The visit appears to have been a reconnaissance exercise. The primary purpose was to identify a suitable spot from where the victim could be pushed. Had an opportunity presented itself that day, she might have attempted to kill him. Chaudhary deliberately stayed away during that visit to minimise risk,” the officer said. Police suspect Goyal later tried to persuade Agarwal to return to the fort on June 3, but his family discouraged the trip as the couple was due to travel to Bali. Investigators also said Goyal allegedly stole Agarwal’s passport during a trip to Mumbai, leading to the cancellation of the foreign visit.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pune-murder-case-siya-chetan-first-planned-to-injure-ketan-to-delay-wedding-say-cops-2953061-2026-07-21

As the protest gathered momentum, Delhi Police deployed heavy security, including the Rapid Action Force, before detaining Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several other Opposition leaders.

The political confrontation between the Congress and the Centre escalated sharply on Tuesday as Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence over the alleged police action on students protesting the NEET issue.

The protest came a day after clashes between police and students during the CJP-led march to Parliament. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi visited students undergoing treatment at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital before the Opposition decided to intensify its agitation.

The Congress demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, a discussion on the NEET issue and the alleged police action in Parliament, and justice for the injured students.

As the protest gathered momentum, Delhi Police deployed heavy security, including the Rapid Action Force, before detaining Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and several other Opposition leaders.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh met Rahul Gandhi at the protest site and later briefed Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The government subsequently accused the Congress of changing its demands and alleged that the party had set a “dangerous precedent” by protesting outside the Prime Minister’s residence.

Here’s a timeline of how the political drama unfolded:

July 20 marked the day the hunger strike at Jantar Mantar erupted into a mass protest, with thousands demanding the Education Minister’s resignation before marching towards Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon Session. As the crowds dispersed, the scars of the crackdown — and the stories left behind — remained. India Today Digital returned to the protest site the next day to capture what unfolded after the headlines. Here’s our report…

The Gen Z Revolution — that is how many young protesters describe the ongoing demonstration at Jantar Mantar, which has now entered its 24th day.

If July 20 was meant to disperse the movement, many here believe it achieved the opposite. The lathi charge, tear gas and the images of injured students quickly spread across social media, transforming the police action into a rallying point. By Tuesday morning, July 21, Jantar Mantar was drawing not just those who had been on the streets a day earlier, but also students, young professionals and families who said they came after witnessing the crackdown.

For many, it was no longer only about an education protest; it had become a question of standing with fellow students (or just being there for the youth) who they felt had been treated unfairly.

When our team at India Today Digital reached the protest site today, the overwhelming emotion was not fear but that of anger.

Many first-time protesters that we spoke to said the events of the previous day had hardened their resolve rather than weakening it in any way. Their demand remained unchanged. They were (now loudly) seeking accountability from Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and meaningful reforms to an education system they say has repeatedly failed them.

STORIES WRITTEN IN BRUISES

Among those standing at the protest site was Hardik, a 20-year-old law student. He showed our camera person a large bruise on his chest, which he said was caused by a tear gas shell fired during Sunday’s clashes.

His injury told a story beyond words, one of struggle, fear and what he described as excessive police force used on students and other protestors by those who are responsible for law enforcement.

Hardik was not alone. Many other protesters displayed injuries on their legs, hands and other parts of their bodies, claiming they were sustained during the clashes with the police a night before (July 20).

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED

On the morning of July 20, as announced earlier, the CJP called upon its supporters to assemble at Jantar Mantar before marching towards the Parliament. They were demanding the accountability and resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

However, police invoked prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and denied permission for the march.

As thousands of young protesters gathered, the situation escalated quickly. Barricades were breached as big groups attempted to move towards the Parliament, turning the protest site into a flashpoint.

“Democratic protests are our right. A march to the Parliament cannot be considered a threat to any leader or a politician. It is simply our way of making legislators hear what we feel,” said Upasna, 22, who travelled from Mumbai to participate in the protest.

Like many others present that day, she alleged that protesters were lathi-charged during the confrontation.

WE ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR RIGHTS

“Do you think everyone gathered here is anti-national? How can anyone say that?” asked Chinmay, a Delhi resident pursuing his graduation from Delhi Technological University (DTU).

“I have been living in Delhi since 2006. I believe this is our right. What happened yesterday must be discussed and raised as an issue. We are fighting for our rights, and we will continue to do so,” he told us about the serious injuries that he sustained due to the police force that was used on protestors without any regard or warning.

More than 90 per cent of the protesters that we spoke to were between 18 and 25 years old, placing them firmly within Gen Z. Many said they had returned to Jantar Mantar after the July 20 police action, not despite the warnings, but because of them.

Several described the crackdown and alleged threats as a turning point that strengthened their resolve to be a part of the ongoing protest for as long as it would take.

For many, coming back to the protest site was an act of solidarity with those who were injured; for others, it was a way of showing that intimidation would not deter them from demanding accountability.

THE CHARM OF ‘SONAM SIR’

Hardik’s experience was echoed by several others, who alleged they were subjected to excessive force during the clashes.

“I am a law student. I never imagined I would come out to protest. But after seeing Sonam sir (Sonam Wangchuk) and how he was dragged to the hospital, I couldn’t stop myself. I came out not for myself but to support fellow young Indians who cannot be blamed for repeated exam leaks. We have been offered nothing but uncertainty. Now we cannot remain silent,” Hardik told us.

“I was hit by a tear gas shell. The policemen could have fired it from a distance where I was standing, but they didn’t. They wanted to hit me, and they did,” he added.

Nearby stood Adrian, another protester, showing bruises on his leg that he said resulted from baton blows from the “insenstive lathi charge on July 20.”.

For many present, these injuries had become symbols of what they believed was a disproportionate response to their demonstration.

Among the protesters was Alina, 19, who joined the movement on July 16 after Sonam Wangchuk had announced his indefinite hunger strike. “The July 20 protest became much bigger than anyone expected,” she quipped. According to her, several “unwanted elements” entered the protest and contributed to the violence.

“There were people who were not part of the original movement. They were there only to create chaos, and that led to the clashes,” she alleged.

Several protesters also alleged that some of those involved in the lathi charge were not in police uniform. “They were carrying the same sticks as the police,” claimed Alina, adding that officers did not intervene to stop them.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/jantar-mantar-gen-z-protest-dharmendra-pradhan-resignation-july-20-clashes-lathi-charge-2953096-2026-07-21

 

Andhra Pradesh reported seven new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the tally to 26. Officials said infections remain sporadic across districts, with no sign of a cluster outbreak.

Andhra Pradesh reported seven new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections in the state to 26, the Health Department said. It added that the new cases were detected in different districts and were not linked to any cluster outbreak.

Of the 26 infected people, 10 are being treated in hospitals and nine are in home isolation. Three patients have recovered and been discharged, while four have died. The department said 145 samples have been tested in the state so far.

According to the department, four of the seven fresh cases were reported from Guntur district, two from East Godavari and one from Bapatla. In a press release, the Health Department said, “Seven new Covid-19 cases were reported in the state on Tuesday, taking the total number of infections to 26. The cases were detected in different districts and are not part of any cluster outbreak.”

Kadapa has reported the highest number of cases at eight, followed by Guntur with six, East Godavari with three, and Kakinada and Bapatla with two each. One case each has also been reported from Visakhapatnam, Eluru, Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore, NTR and Parvathipuram Manyam districts.

The Health Department said all four deceased patients had pre-existing health conditions before they were diagnosed with the infection. It reiterated that the cases reported so far are sporadic and spread across different districts, with no evidence of a cluster outbreak in any part of the state.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/andhra-pradesh/story/andhra-pradesh-covid-19-cases-rise-to-26-after-7-new-infections-no-cluster-outbreak-found-ptag-2953170-2026-07-22

Mamata Banerjee backed the Opposition’s Delhi sit-in over the alleged NEET paper leak and police action on students. She said the crackdown was unacceptable and framed it as part of a wider BJP pattern of intimidation.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday night termed the police action against protests in Delhi over the alleged NEET paper leak “unacceptable” and said her party fully supports the Opposition’s sit-in demonstration in the national capital.

Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and several other senior leaders staged a dharna outside the prime minister’s residence in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the police action against students protesting the alleged paper leak.

In a social media post, Banerjee said, “The police atrocities on our youth in Delhi is unacceptable. Shame on the Union government. The All India Trinamool Congress fully supports the sit-down protest by the Opposition today near Akbar Road. Our full solidarity.”

She also alleged police excesses and disruption in Kolkata ahead of the TMC’s Martyrs’ Day programme. “There were also police atrocities in Kolkata all through last night. BJP goons did all they could to disrupt preparations for our Martyrs’ Day programme. They arrived on motorcycle squads, destroyed signage, vandalised the stage and deliberately cut microphone wires. Many youth were threatened and injured by these goons,” she said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/neet-paper-leak-protest-mamata-banerjee-backs-opposition-dharna-slams-delhi-police-ptag-2953292-2026-07-22

The deceased included migrant workers from West Bengal, Punjab, Assam and Uttarakhand, a senior official said.

At least 12 workers were killed and 13 others remained trapped for over 24 hours after an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Sikkim’s Namchi district following an explosion of suspected methane gas, officials said on Tuesday, adding the toll may increase.

Meanwhile, members of a mining safety team from neighbouring West Bengal that joined the rescue operation on Tuesday, claimed to having spotted eight more bodies inside the tunnel. The Namchi district administration, however, could not verify the claims till the time of going to press.

A total of 25 workers had been trapped inside the collapsed tunnel of the NHPC Teesta Stage VI Hydropower Project at Samardung in South Sikkim shortly after 1 pm on Monday.

“In all 12 bodies have been recovered till 7pm on Tuesday and 13 are still missing,” Namchi district collector Anupa Tamling said. “We will carry out the rescue operation until late night and will resume it early Wednesday morning. Seven of the bodies recovered have been identified.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged for collective efforts to build a foolproof examination system, Kiren Rijiju said quoting the PM.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the strictest possible punishment for those responsible for the NEET paper leak and emphasised that preventing such paper leaks was a national responsibility, Minister Kiren Rijiju said quoting the Prime Minister after the NDA Parliamentary Party’s ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister, Rijiju said, urged for collective efforts to build a foolproof examination system.

“The PM called on NDA partners to remain united in supporting legislative business and appealed to opposition parties to work constructively in parliament, saying that while political differences may exist, all MPs have a shared responsibility to work for the country’s future and the welfare of its youth,” Rijiju said quoting the Prime Minister.

The comments come a day after hundreds of protesters were tear-gassed and lathicharged and stopped from marching on parliament. The protesting students, led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which emerged in May after the Supreme Court Chief Justice compared some unemployed young people to “cockroaches” during an unrelated hearing, are demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation following alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, including the NEET paper leak.

The National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the country’s most competitive exams, attracting more than two million aspiring doctors. The exam was scrapped in May following allegations that the question paper was leaked in advance. The re-test was conducted late last month.

The NEET scandal came on top of another controversy, related to the online marking system used for tests taken by nearly two million high school CBSE students. Many students said the system had assigned incorrect grades or issued results to the wrong candidates.

PM Modi said the government acted immediately after reports of the NEET paper leak emerged, leading to arrests and swift action against those involved, Rijiju relayed.

The Central Bureau of Investigation, or CBI, has arrested the “kingpin” alleged to be behind the leak, naming him as a chemistry lecturer involved in the examination process for the Natinal Testing Agency (NTA). The education ministry launched a website where the public can report “suspicious claims, unauthorised content, or fraudulent activities” related to the NEET exam.

Rijiju said the Prime Minister stressed that a re-examination was conducted without delay to ensure students’ futures were not affected.

The Monday protest came after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly taken to hospital on Saturday, bringing an abrupt end to his 21-day hunger strike in support of the movement launched by the CJP.

Later on Monday, Wangchuk said he would resume his hunger strike in hospital after seeing the “brutality with which peacefully protesting students are being dealt with”.

PM Modi did not mention the protesters in a public address before the start of the Monsoon Session of parliament yesterday.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-cjp-protest-neet-paper-leak-preventing-paper-leaks-a-national-responsibility-pm-modi-on-neet-row-11799282

Congress workers, led by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi, marched to PM Modi’s residence to protest the paper leak issue on Tuesday.

One of the most dramatic days in post-Independence Indian politics unfolded in New Delhi on Tuesday when Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi led a Congress protest against paper leaks and the “attack” on students to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, only to be dragged away hours later.

Seeking to pile on the pressure on the Centre a day after the Cockroach Janta Party-led march to Parliament, Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra gathered outside the Congress President’s house at 10, Rajaji Marg on Tuesday afternoon and marched to the PM’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, just over a kilometre away. In an unprecedented development, Union Minister Jitendra Singh later visited the protest site and spoke to Rahul Gandhi, but the protest was broken up hours later and Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and others were detained and taken away in buses.

Rahul Gandhi was surrounded by at least 10 police personnel as he sat on the road and refused to budge. He was eventually dragged away and was seen bleeding from his nose.

Speaking to reporters after the police action, the Congress MP, who was lying on the road, declared, “Democracy in India is happening right now.”

Rahul Gandhi was taken to the Chhatrasal Stadium while Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was moved to the Mandir Marg Police station. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi visited Priyanka Gandhi Vadra at the police station, and both Gandhi siblings were released around 9 pm.

In a statement after being released, Rahul Gandhi urged the Prime Minister to initiate education reforms at the earliest and thanked people for supporting protests against the paper leaks.

Before the protesters were dispersed, sources had said Gandhi had intended to continue the sit-in overnight. He had also made an appeal for people to join him outside the PM’s residence.

“An attack on students is an attack on every Indian family. PM Modi believes he can get away without answers, without consequences. He cannot. Not this time. I ask every patriotic Indian who believes our students deserve justice – join us in dharna in front of the Prime Minister’s residence. The voice of India’s students will not be ignored,” he said in a post.

After the meeting between Singh, who is the Minister of State in the PMO, and Gandhi, Congress leaders said the talks were inconclusive.

“They wanted us to withdraw the protest and we did not agree because our demands were not met. We want Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and a discussion in Parliament on the paper leaks. More MPs, more Congress workers and more common people will join our protest,” said Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain.

Singh later alleged Gandhi had assured him the Congress would call off the protest if the government agreed to discuss all issues related to NEET and paper leaks in Parliament, and then went back on his word.

“When this information was conveyed to Shri Rahul Gandhi, he said that he would not agree to this alone but also sought assurance for the resignation of the Union Education Minister. He said that now I have two demands: Discussion in Parliament and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. When he was reminded that earlier he had only demanded discussion, he said that now my demands have changed,” Singh wrote in Hindi on X.

Police began breaking up the protest around 6.40 pm, soon after the minister’s statement.

Trigger

The Cockroach Janta Party’s march to Parliament on Monday saw protesters, mostly students and young people, being lathicharged and tear-gassed by the police as well as the Rapid Action Force. The CJP, which is seeking Pradhan’s resignation over NEET and other paper leaks, said several people were injured and left bleeding after the action by the security forces.

The Delhi Police, on the other hand, accused the protesters of displaying “unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour” and said they attacked personnel with stones, vandalised police vehicles and resorted to “large-scale violence”. The force said 118 police personnel were injured, including senior officers.

Taking to X immediately after Tuesday’s protest began, Rahul Gandhi said the sit-in was aimed at seeking accountability from the government for the “brutality” against the protesters. Going a step further from the CJP, he demanded the resignations of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday.

The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability or does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament.

PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of… pic.twitter.com/gnU3ZkRKDx

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 21, 2026

“We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday. The Government doesn’t want to take any accountability or (sic) does it want to have a debate on it in Parliament. PM and HM must resign for destroying the future of India’s youth,” he wrote.

The Delhi Police, which appeared to be caught off-guard by the Congress demonstration, rushed additional contingents to the PM’s residence and began detaining protesters. The BJP accused the Congress of putting the PM’s security at risk, but Congress leaders at the spot insisted that the protest was being held peacefully.

“The Prime Minister is not in the Parliament. He left the Parliament in a very short time yesterday as well. Where do we go to be heard? The protest is being carried out peacefully,” said Congress MP Manickam Tagore.

Jitendra Singh, who is the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, also visited the site about an hour after the protest began and was seen speaking to Rahul Gandhi. The two leaders spoke for several minutes and their conversation was recorded by a person present at the protest.

Sources said Singh later met Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and senior NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule also joined the protest later in the evening. Signalling a rift in the Opposition, however, the AAP said the Congress’ protest was being instigated by the BJP itself to draw attention away from the CJP agitation.

Parliament Adjournments

The Parliament has been adjourned early on both days since the Monsoon Session began on Monday. The Congress tried to raise the issue of the paper leaks and the protest led by the CJP on both days and claimed its leaders were not allowed to speak.

“Today, we wanted to raise the issue of the students who were assaulted. They were lathi-charged, tear gas was used against them, they were beaten up, and many of them are now in hospitals. We wanted to raise our voice in Parliament against this injustice, these atrocities, and the pressure being created on them. We had sought time to speak, and when we stood up, after uttering just one word, the microphone was switched off. This is democracy? If, in a democracy, you do not want a debate and do not want to listen to the Opposition, then where should we go?” Kharge, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said outside Parliament before the protest.

CJP representatives held two meetings with JP Nadda on Monday and the Health Minister also visited Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital and Lady Harding Hospital on Tuesday to meet protesters injured in Monday’s march. The government has maintained it is willing to engage with the protesters and listen to their demands, but will not tolerate violence.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/neet-paper-leak-row-rahul-gandhi-sister-priyanka-lead-congress-protest-to-pm-modi-s-house-11800745?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

 

JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh visited Sonam Wangchuk at Medanta Hospital after his court-ordered transfer, while the activist continued his indefinite hunger strike.

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday (July 21) reportedly visited the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram to enquire about activist Wangchuk’s health. Notably, Wangchuk was shifted to the private hospital from Safdarjung Hospital after the Delhi High Court’s order.

The activist continued his indefinite hunger strike as thousands of students and supporters returned to Jantar Mantar to resume their agitation a day after violent clashes during a Parliament march. Over 5,000 protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar, reclaiming the protest site after Monday’s clashes with Delhi Police during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march.

“Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh and Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda visited the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram to enquire about the health of activist Sonam Wangchuk,” Sources told ANI.

Wangchuk began his indefinite fast on June 28. Although he was transferred to Medanta Hospital under judicial supervision, his wife, Gitanjali Angmo, confirmed that he would continue his hunger strike in solidarity with students who were allegedly injured during the police action.

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court ordered the immediate transfer of theactivist to Medanta Hospital. The order was issued while hearing a plea by Angmo to shift him to a private hospital from Safdarjung Hospital.

The private hospital has also been directed to form a panel of doctors for conducting Wangchuk’s treatment. The High Court also ordered that the director of Medanta should form a team of doctors which will oversee him and administer medication in terms of accepted norms of protocol to which he shall abide.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/jp-nadda-mos-jitendra-singh-visit-medanta-hospital-in-gurugram-to-enquire-about-health-of-sonam-wangchuk-article-155148099

IndiGo signed a landmark MoU with CFM International for over 1,000 LEAP-1A engines at the Farnborough International Airshow. The largest single order for CFM’s LEAP series will power 510 Airbus A320neo family aircraft. The agreement also includes support for an IndiGo MRO facility in India, spare parts availability and maintenance solutions for its expanding fleet.

In a historic aviation deal that shook up commercial aviation at the Farnborough International Airshow, India’s biggest carrier IndiGo has signed a landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) with engine manufacturer CFM International for over 1,000 LEAP-1A engines. The mega-agreement, which is the largest single order ever placed for CFM’s flagship LEAP engine series, will power 510 incoming Airbus A320neo family aircraft as IndiGo aggressively expands its domestic and international footprint.

Long-Term Framework Secured

​Beyond the sheer volume of turbofans ordered, the deal establishes a broad, long-term framework designed to secure IndiGo’s supply chain and operational reliability for decades. According to the MoU, CFM will directly support IndiGo in establishing its own dedicated maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) engine facility in India.

The partnership will also includes a comprehensive aftermarket agreement guarantees spare parts availability, predictable maintenance costs and dispatch reliability across IndiGo’s rapidly growing fleet. Moreover, technical upgrades, including high-pressure turbine (HPT) durability kits and reverse bleed systems (RBS), will be integrated to withstand hot, harsh operating environments typical of South Asian corridors.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/aviation-megadeal-indigo-signs-record-mou-with-cfm-for-over-1000-leap-1a-engines

The Bihar government is set to introduce a new law targeting offline and online gambling during the Monsoon Session. The bill proposes jail terms and fines while widening action against facilitators and advertisers.

After enforcing prohibition on liquor, the Bihar government is now preparing to tighten its grip on gambling and betting by introducing a stringent new law during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the state legislature. The proposed Bihar Gambling (Prohibition) Bill aims to curb both offline and online gambling activities, with a special focus on online betting platforms.

Under the proposed legislation, online gambling and betting will be treated as criminal offences. The government has proposed strict punishments, including imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for a first-time offence.

Repeat offenders will face even harsher penalties. The bill proposes imprisonment of up to seven years along with a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for those found guilty of committing the offence again.

The proposed law also seeks to widen accountability by taking action against individuals who provide bank accounts or digital wallets for gambling transactions. Those found facilitating such activities could also face legal action under the new legislation.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/bihar/story/bihar-gambling-prohibition-bill-online-betting-jail-fines-2952441-2026-07-21

The people dismissed Pakistan’s efforts at creating a “victim narrative” on the false premise that India intends to cut off water supplies.

The Indus Waters Treaty, especially provisions for sharing cross-border rivers, will not function again in its current form, and there is no evidence of Pakistan abjuring terrorism, a key reason for the pact being suspended in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

India put the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance as part of a package of punitive diplomatic and economic measures soon after The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), killed 26 civilians at Pahalgam in April 2025. India launched Operation Sindoor in May last year to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation for the attack.

The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity, were emphatic that the treaty, in its present form, “will not function again”, and the provisions related to the sharing of trans-boundary rivers have to be renegotiated in view of factors such as climate change, changes in demography and advances in hydrological technology since the 1950s, when the pact was negotiated.

The people also linked any review of India’s decision to keep the treaty — signed in September 1960 by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistan president Mohammad Ayub Khan — in abeyance to Islamabad abjuring its support for cross-border terrorism. They emphasised that there is currently no evidence that Pakistan has taken any steps to end its support for terrorism.

“On the contrary, we continue to receive reports that proscribed groups and individuals sanctioned by the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee continue to appear at public events in Pakistan, and continue to have platforms to propagate their messages,” one of the people said.

“The evidence that our [security] agencies have, in terms of their activities just across the Line of Control, suggests no credible steps have been taken so far to control their activities,” he said.

Before the treaty was suspended, the Indian side formally approached Pakistan four times since 2023 to renegotiate the pact, the people said. India’s last formal letter had indicated that the Indian side was willing to meet Pakistan at any location of its choice. Pakistan, in its final response on May 8, 2025, said it was willing to listen to India’s viewpoint at the level of the Indus Waters Commissioners, but New Delhi said the discussions should be between the two governments, they said.

Pakistan’s actions, including efforts to block virtually all water management projects on cross-border rivers proposed by India, have eroded the “spirit of goodwill and friendship” that formed the bedrock of the treaty’s preamble, the people pointed out. The lopsided arrangement agreed to by New Delhi — whereby India agreed to give an 81% share of the river waters to Pakistan — was aimed at facilitating the resolution of issues between the two sides, but this never happened, they said.

The people dismissed Pakistan’s efforts at creating a “victim narrative” on the false premise that India intends to cut off water supplies, and pointed out that Islamabad had failed to effectively manage or use its share of the river waters. Out of the 140 million acre feet (MAF) of water available annually in the cross-border rivers, Pakistan wastes almost 35 MAF — more than India’s share — by allowing it to flow into the sea, the people said.

The Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank, allocated the western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, Chenab – to Pakistan, and the eastern rivers – Ravi, Beas and Sutlej – to India. It allowed each country certain uses on the rivers allocated to the other.

Pakistan also went against the treaty’s graded mechanism for addressing disputes, which envisages differences being tackled first by the Indus Waters Commissioners or governments, before the matter is referred to a neutral expert, and then to a court of arbitration. While Pakistan sought the appointment of a neutral expert to handle objections to the Kishenganga and Ratle projects in 2015, it unilaterally retracted this in 2016 and sought a court of arbitration.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indus-waters-treaty-won-t-work-in-present-form-as-pakistan-backs-terror-india-101784565992900.html

Hours after Union Minister JP Nadda met protesters’ representatives, Sonam Wangchuk announced he would continue his hunger strike.

Activist and education reform advocate Sonam Wangchuk on Monday announced that he would continue his indefinite hunger strike, which entered Day 23, saying he was moved by the peaceful conduct of protesting students.

In a handwritten note shared on X, Wangchuk said he would continue fasting until student leaders are allowed to meet parliamentarians at Sansad Bhavan or he is permitted to meet them in the hospital.

He urged the government and police to resolve the situation by allowing students to present their grievances before Parliament and expressed hope that accountability in the education system would be ensured.

He expressed hope that the government would “fix accountability of the education minister before that”.

Wangchuk said he was “touched and moved by how the youth have held on to peace despite provocation” and appealed to both the government and the police to resolve the issue by simply allowing students to present their grievances before Parliament, either on Monday or the following day.

He also voiced confidence that the protesters would continue to maintain peace, writing, “I’m sure the young protesters will show the same patience and tolerance tomorrow as they did today.”

The activist has been on an indefinite hunger strike demanding accountability over alleged failures in the education system, including examination paper leaks. His protest has drawn support from students, youth groups and civil society organisations across the country.

This came hours after Union Minister JP Nadda met the representatives of protesters.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/ill-continue-my-fast-sonam-wangchuk-refuses-to-end-hunger-strike-on-day-23-10223615.html

Delhi Police won’t stop Jantar Mantar protests, but will act against lawbreakers. Protesters demand Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over NEET-UG paper leak.

Delhi Police will not stop protesters from staging their protest at Jantar Mantar, senior police officers told CNN-News18’s Ananya Bhatnagar, on Monday. The officers said only those who break law and order at the protest site will face strict action.

Delhi Police is trying to move the protesters to Burari Ground instead of Jantar Mantar, the officers said. But the chances of the protesters agreeing to the move are very low, with the protesters unlikely to move from Jantar Mantar, the officers added.

Delhi Police allowed Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke to return to Jantar Mantar, the officers said. If Delhi Police had wanted, it could have stopped the protesters sitting at Kerala House from going back to Jantar Mantar. It chose not to.

Some police officers had tried to remove the tents at Jantar Mantar. But they got a call from Delhi Police headquarters telling them the tents must not be removed, the officers said.

Delhi Police had earlier sealed roads leading to Parliament, barricaded the Jantar Mantar site from all sides and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.

The protest began on 6 June as a satirical youth movement.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/delhi-police-say-they-wont-stop-jantar-mantar-protest-trying-to-shift-protesters-to-burari-ground-ws-l-10223733.html

Rescue efforts have been further complicated by a methane gas leak triggered by the landslide, making it difficult for emergency teams to access the tunnel safely.

At least ten people have died and several workers are still feared trapped after a landslide blocked an under-construction tunnel at the Samardung site in Sikkim’s Namchi district, officials said on Tuesday.

The incident took place at the Samardung tunnel, where a massive landslide blocked the entrance on Monday afternoon, cutting off workers inside.

Rescue efforts have been further complicated by a methane gas leak triggered by the landslide, making it difficult for emergency teams to access the tunnel safely.

The District Administration has confirmed ten fatalities, with the bodies being taken to Singtam District Hospital, STNM Hospital in Gangtok, and Namchi District Hospital.

VIDEO | Sikkim tunnel collapse: Namchi Superintendent of Police Sonam Dolma says, “10 bodies have been recovered; 3 bodies remain unidentified; deceased are from Bengal, Uttarakhand, Assam, and Sikkim.”

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/ueWh6L9Yxl

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 21, 2026

The Namchi District Administration, in coordination with various agencies, is continuing rescue and relief efforts, while the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) is closely monitoring the situation

Gangtok, Sikkim: NDRF teams are carrying out a rescue operation after a landslide inside the under-construction Samardung tunnel at Mamring in South Sikkim reportedly triggered a methane gas leak, leaving an estimated 27 people feared trapped pic.twitter.com/QUHFaab9jy

— IANS (@ians_india) July 20, 2026

Gas Leak Slows Rescue

Rescue efforts are continuing, but operations have been hampered by the presence of methane gas inside the tunnel. According to officials, several rescue personnel experienced dizziness and even lost consciousness while attempting to reach the trapped workers.

Rescue operations are continuing to evacuate those trapped, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Sikkim Police, Fire and Emergency Services, NHPC officials and other departments involved in the operation.

PMO Announces Ex-Gratia

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra modi expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of deceased, and Rs 50,000 to those injured in the inicdent.

Anguished by the loss of lives due to the collapse of an under-construction tunnel in Namchi, Sikkim. I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. I pray that those injured recover at the earliest.

An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of…

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 21, 2026

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/sikkim-tunnel-collapse-one-dead-27-workers-still-feared-trapped-as-gas-leak-slows-rescue-ws-l-10224033.html 

 

 

Delhi Police sources said the investigation will also focus on the conspiracy behind the violence, including a possible outsider angle aimed at provoking unrest.

Delhi Police have launched an investigation into social media posts linked to Pakistani handles following the violence during the Jantar Mantar protest, even as multiple FIRs have been registered and more than 70 people detained in connection with the unrest.

According to Delhi Police sources, investigators are examining whether misinformation circulated online played a role in escalating tensions. The police are also probing the conspiracy behind the violence and looking into a possible outsider angle.

Multiple FIRs registered, over 70 detained

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) confirmed to CNN-News18 that separate FIRs are being registered based on distinct complaints received after the violence.

Police said action is being taken by registering FIRs wherever complaints have been received.

So far, more than 70 people have been detained. Officials are examining CCTV footage and mobile phone videos to identify those involved in the violence.

According to the police, investigators are relying on all available digital evidence to identify the accused and initiate legal action.

Pakistani social media handles under scanner

Delhi Police sources said the investigation will also focus on the conspiracy behind the violence, including a possible outsider angle aimed at provoking unrest.

According to the sources, numerous tweets related to the violence are being traced to various Pakistani social media handles. Police are also examining the spread of rumours linked to the protests.

One such post falsely claimed that seven protesters had died in the violence, 391 people were injured and 250 had been arrested, police sources said.

Officials are investigating the circulation of such claims as part of the wider probe into the violence.

The sources further said that if the involvement of any political party in inciting the violence comes to light during the investigation, action will be taken against those responsible.

Police reiterated that multiple FIRs are being registered in connection with the incidents.

More than 50 police personnel injured

Delhi Police sources said more than 50 police personnel were injured during incidents of stone-pelting and have been shifted to hospitals for treatment.

Among those injured are more than ten IPS and DANIPS officers who had been deployed across different parts of New Delhi to bring the situation under control.

Police said the number of injured personnel could increase, as many officers and staff are still in the process of receiving medical treatment at hospitals.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/jantar-mantar-protest-delhi-police-investigate-pakistani-social-media-handles-over-fake-claims-on-violence-10223691.html

 

Thousands of farmers marched towards Delhi for a mahapanchayat against the proposed India-US trade deal as Haryana Police sealed borders, detained BKU leader Gurnam Singh Charuni and tightened security.

Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana and several other states began marching towards Delhi on Tuesday morning to participate in a mahapanchayat at Kisan Ghat against the proposed India-US trade deal, even as Haryana Police tightened security at the Shambhu border, detained BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni and blocked key highways to prevent the march from reaching the capital.

#WATCH | A large number of farmers reach Shambhu Border (Punjab-Haryana border) ahead of their scheduled march to Delhi today. Visuals from Patiala (Punjab) side. pic.twitter.com/dJtdEt0qti

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2026

In a significant shift in strategy, farmers this time chose to travel in buses and private vehicles instead of tractors, with large convoys leaving from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab from as early as 5 am on Tuesday (July 21). “We have nothing but a flag and a stick. We will keep moving forward. If the government tries to stop us, we are prepared for that too,” said one farmer to Times Now from inside one of the buses.

Shambhu Border Sealed, Charuni Detained

Haryana Police moved swiftly to contain the march, sealing the Shambhu border point between Punjab and Haryana overnight and putting up barricades on the Ghaggar bridge connecting the two states, bringing all movement to a complete halt. Security was tightened across key national highway stretches as police anticipated large numbers of farmers attempting to cross into Haryana.

Patiala, Punjab: The Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana has been sealed with the deployment of the Haryana Police. Authorities have blocked the crossing using heavy barricades to stop protesting farmers from marching toward the national capital pic.twitter.com/B13dyvfZ7e

— IANS (@ians_india) July 21, 2026

BKU (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni was detained on Monday evening when his vehicle was intercepted by police on National Highway-152D near Pehowa in Haryana, while he was on his way to Delhi for the mahapanchayat. BKU spokesperson Prince Waraich confirmed the detention, adding that BKU spokesperson Rakesh Bains was also detained and that both leaders were being kept separately. Pehowa SHO Satish Kumar confirmed Charuni’s detention but refused to specify the reason.

Patiala, Punjab: Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border has been sealed as farmers march to Delhi’s Kisan Ghat protesting India-US trade deal. Haryana Police blocked routes, detained leaders, and set barricades, while convoys from Punjab headed toward Delhi despite restrictions. pic.twitter.com/J7ZfXZJVwM

— IANS (@ians_india) July 21, 2026

Following news of Charuni’s detention, angry farmers from his outfit blocked the Shambhu toll plaza near Ambala, disrupting vehicular traffic before police detained some BKU members at the spot. Farmers also gathered at a toll plaza on the Hisar-Chandigarh stretch of the national highway in Thana village, spread mats on the road and launched a sit-in, raising slogans against the BJP-led Centre.

Patiala, Punjab: The Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana has been sealed with the deployment of the Haryana Police. Authorities have blocked the crossing using heavy barricades to stop protesting farmers from marching toward the national capital pic.twitter.com/aDc3CWIQn7

— IANS (@ians_india) July 21, 2026

Ambala DSP Jagbir Singh told ANI, “They have certain demands concerning Delhi, and in this regard, they had blocked the route from Amritsar to Delhi; traffic flow has now been restored… The situation will be handled as it unfolds. We have made full arrangements to maintain law and order…”

#WATCH | Ambala, Haryana | Farmers staged a protest at the Shambhu Toll Plaza on the Ambala-Punjab highway against the arrest of Gurnam Singh Charuni, National President of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni faction).

Ambala DSP Jagbir Singh said, “They have certain demands… pic.twitter.com/mifSNJANI2

— ANI (@ANI) July 21, 2026

Who Is Coming And Why

The mahapanchayat has been called by the Desh Bachao Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer organisations from across the country formed specifically to oppose the proposed India-US trade agreement. Representatives from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala are expected to participate in Tuesday’s rally at Kisan Ghat in Delhi.
Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers from several states including Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan would reach Delhi to participate in the rally. “This is not just about one state or one crop. This fight is for every farmer, every agricultural labourer and every small trader in this country,” he said.

#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab | Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader & coordinator for Desh Bachao Morcha, Sarwan Singh Pandher, along with farmers, to leave for Delhi today for a one-day rally to protest against India-US FTA

He says, “Desh Bachao Morcha has called for a one-day… pic.twitter.com/odIbzFZwz7

— ANI (@ANI) July 20, 2026

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/city/chandigarh/farmers-march-delhi-kisan-mahapanchayat-india-us-trade-deal-shambhu-border-sealed-bku-charuni-article-155143087 

 

Hundreds of students and activists protested at Mumbai’s Chaityabhoomi over alleged NEET irregularities in solidarity with the CJP’s ‘Sansad Chalo’ march, while police said the demonstration was held without permission and claimed hundreds of protesters were detained.

Hundreds of students and activists gathered at Chaityabhoomi, the cremation place of Dr B R Ambedkar in Dadar, on Monday to protest against the Centre over alleged NEET irregularities, with organisers claiming around 200 people were detained by Mumbai Police, which said the protest was organised without permission.

The demonstration, organised under the banner of Mumbai Against Suppression of Students (MASS), was held in solidarity with theSansad Chalo march led by the Cockroach Janta Party and activist Sonam Wangchuk in Delhi. Protesters demanded accountability over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Members of several student organisations participated, including the Students’ Federation of India, All India Students’ Federation, Aamchi Padhai Aamchi Ladai and other youth groups, carrying placards and raising slogans against the Centre. According to MASS, more than 500 people turned up for the protest, but police action prevented them from assembling at a single location.

VIDEO | Supporters of CJP, activist Sonam Wangchuk hold protest in Mumbai, security tightened near Chaityabhoomi.

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/FQCe0O3rug

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 20, 2026

“No permission was granted for supporters of PWP, CPI (M) and CJP at Chaityabhoomi. The process to register a case against the participants is underway at Shivaji Park police station,” a senior officer told PTI.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/mumbai/200-detained-as-mumbai-sfi-aisf-protest-at-chaityabhoomi-in-solidarity-with-delhi-cjp-sansad-march-police-cite-no-permission-article-155143039

A former IT employee in Medipally was found dead in a pond after running naked amid mental health issues.

A bizarre and tragic incident unfolded in the early hours of Friday in Telangana’s Medipally town. A 25-year-old former software engineer, identified as Tejaswini, was found dead in a local temple pond just hours after CCTV cameras captured her running through the streets unclothed.

Investigating officials have pointed toward severe mental distress and “phobia” as key factors in the tragedy.

According to the Medipally police, Tejaswini, a native of the Vizianagaram district, had recently quit her job at an IT firm in Bengaluru about six months ago. She and her mother moved into a rented house in Peerzadiguda roughly two months ago.

After dinner on Friday night, the mother and daughter went to sleep. At around 2:30 am, Tejaswini woke up and allegedly locked her mother’s room from the outside to prevent her from following. CCTV footage retrieved from the neighbourhood subsequently tracked her actions as she emerged into the streets.

At 2:35 am the victim is seen running naked through the colony, carrying a saree in her hands. Further, at 2:45 am, she stops briefly at a local Beerappa temple to pray and is reported to have handled an idol.

Lastly, at 3:00 am, she runs toward the adjacent temple pond and jumps into the water.

The next morning, the victim’s mother woke up to find herself locked inside and raised an alarm, prompting neighbours to open the door.

A subsequent search of the locality led to the discovery of Tejaswini’s body floating in the lake.

The Medipally police, alongside teams from HYDRAA and the Disaster Response Force (DRF), retrieved the body and shifted it to Gandhi Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigations and the victim’s medical history suggest she was battling severe depressive episodes and acute mental health distress.

”The mother mentioned in her formal complaint that her daughter had frequently been complaining of severe nightmares and panic attacks, which points strongly to a condition akin to phobia,” said the police

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/telangana-news/ex-techie-with-mental-health-issue-runs-to-temple-naked-then-jumps-into-pond-11790977?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The Delhi Police have banned large gatherings in New Delhi district amid CJP’s protest plan on a day the monsoon session of parliament will begin

The Delhi Police have imposed prohibitory orders that ban large gatherings under Section 163 of the BNSS ahead of a planned protest march by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in the heart of the national capital.

The CJP, which appeared first on social media as a work of political satire, has mostly seen support from Opposition party leaders and ‘activists’ aligned with them.

“Delhi Police categorically clarifies that no permission has been sought or granted for any such protest march/procession,” the police said in a statement. The prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNSS (formerly Section 144 CrPC) is currently in effect in New Delhi district.

The CJP announced the march in protest against NEET-UG irregularities and to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The police said that since Section 163 BNSS has been enforced, any kind of protest march, procession, demonstration and gathering of five or more people are not allowed except at the designated protest site in central Delhi’s Jantar Mantar with prior permission.

Those who defy the orders can be punished under Section 223 BNS and other laws.

“Delhi Police appeals to all citizens to respect the law, refrain from participating in any unauthorised gathering or march, and cooperate in maintaining public peace, safety and security,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Sharma said in a post on X.

Preventive deployment will remain in place throughout the parliament session, which begins on Monday. Several entry points have been converted into high-security zones with multi-layered barricades, enhanced surveillance, anti-sabotage checks and round-the-clock patrolling in New Delhi, Central Delhi and parts of North Delhi, they said.

A senior police source said elaborate preventive arrangements have been made to ensure law and order during the parliament session.

Every vehicle entering the New Delhi district is being thoroughly checked. Additional pickets have been set up at strategic locations, and reserve forces have been kept on standby. CCTV surveillance has also been intensified across sensitive areas.

Security has been strengthened around Jantar Mantar, Parliament Street, Central Vista, Connaught Place, Shankar Chowk and other key installations, while rapid response teams have been positioned to respond to any contingency.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/large-gatherings-banned-in-central-delhi-ahead-of-planned-protest-march-11793012?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

In her complaint, filed on July 18, she claimed the accused subjected her to repeated harassment over several weeks.

A Hyderabad IPS probationer accused a fellow trainee officer of a series of offences, including stalking, physical assault, intimidation and illegally recording a private video, leading to the registration of a criminal case. The complainant, identified as Suma HK, alleged that the incidents took place while both officers were undergoing training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA). In her complaint, filed on July 18, she claimed the accused subjected her to repeated harassment over several weeks.

Among the allegations, the trainee officer said the accused sent her sexually explicit and abusive messages, publicly humiliated her before other probationers and repeatedly confronted her over his suspicions about her personal life. She alleged that his behaviour became increasingly aggressive and intrusive, with repeated attempts to monitor and control her interactions.

The complaint further stated that the accused forced access to her mobile phone, demanding to see private conversations and insisting that she reveal her password. She alleged that on one occasion, he took possession of the device and pressured her to unlock it.

The most serious accusations relate to events on July 9, when the complainant alleged she was forcibly taken into the accused’s room and assaulted. She claimed she was dragged by her hair, threatened with a knife and prevented from leaving. During the confrontation, the accused allegedly threw packets of condoms at her.

She also alleged that another incident of physical misconduct occurred the following day, when the accused attempted to touch her without consent.

In a separate allegation, the probationer claimed the accused secretly recorded an intimate video and later shared it with her husband as a means of coercion and blackmail. She further accused him of circulating false claims about her among colleagues in an attempt to damage her reputation.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/he-threw-condoms-at-me-hyderabad-ips-trainee-accuses-batchmate-of-assault-stalking-ws-l-10222240.html

 

Influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami on multiple charges, including rape and sex trafficking. They now face a total of 59 criminal charges.

Influencers Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate were reportedly seen meeting figures linked to US President Donald Trump’s administration in Washington, DC, days before they were arrested on new rape and sex trafficking charges in the United States. The brothers, aged 39 and 38 respectively, were arrested in Miami on Saturday after Bedfordshire Police announced 38 additional charges against them. According to the force, the pair now face a total of 59 criminal charges.

The brothers have also faced allegations, including rape and human trafficking, in multiple countries.

According to the Daily Mail, the Tates attended a social gathering hosted by Paolo Zampolli, a businessman and Trump’s special envoy, at his Washington home before visiting Ned, a private club frequented by members of the Trump administration.

The report also said the brothers visited Capitol Hill, where they met several lawmakers, including Texas Representative Wesley Hunt.

A Delhi restaurant owner has said that callers using Goldy Brar’s name demanded Rs 5 crore and issued death threats. The complaint has set the FIR process in motion, with the family seeking protection as police investigate.

An overseas-based caller identifying himself as gangster Goldy Brar has demanded 5 crore in extortion from a Delhi restaurant owner and threatened to kill him or his family if the money is not paid, police said.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), an FIR is being registered based on the complaint.

The complaint was filed by Rajkumar Walia, owner of BREATH Fine Lounge & Bar and Markaz Bar & Restaurant in Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh area. Walia approached the Punjabi Bagh Police Station after receiving extortion threats from foreign phone numbers.

According to the complaint, Walia received a voice note on his mobile phone from an international number at around 10:30 pm on July 18. The sender identified himself as Goldy Brar and demanded 5 crore. The caller warned that if the money was not paid, either Walia or one of his family members would be killed. The caller also threatened that after killing a family member, he would demand 10 crore.

An audio recording of the extortion threat has also surfaced. In the recording, the caller identifies himself as Goldy Brar while issuing the threats.

According to the complaint, Walia received two more calls from another international number on the afternoon of July 19. The caller introduced himself as Manish Kharkhoda and claimed to be Goldy Brar’s younger brother. He repeated the 5 crore extortion demand and warned Walia of serious consequences if he failed to pay.

The complainant said he told the caller that he did not have such a large amount of money and that someone had provided incorrect information about him. However, the caller continued issuing threats.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/goldy-brar-extortion-call-delhi-restaurant-owner-gets-rs-5-crore-threat-2951586-2026-07-20

Okram Ibobi Singh accused the BJP-led Centre and Manipur government of failing on education, governance and law and order. He demanded accountability for repeated paper leaks and justice in the killing of six Naga civilians.

Former Manipur Chief Minister and Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Okram Ibobi Singh on Sunday criticised the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state, alleging failures in education, governance and law and order, while calling for accountability over recurring examination paper leaks and the killings of six Naga civilians.

Addressing a press conference in Imphal, Ibobi referred to the recent protest led by Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi against recurring examination paper leaks. He alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had failed to protect the interests of students and ensure the integrity of the country’s examination system.

Claiming that more than 150 examination papers, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), had been leaked since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014, Ibobi said repeated irregularities had adversely affected students and undermined public confidence in competitive examinations.

‘GOVT CANNOT ESCAPE RESPONSIBILITY’

He also alleged that several students had died by suicide due to frustration stemming from examination-related controversies.

“The government cannot escape its responsibility. Those accountable, including the Union Education Minister, should accept moral responsibility and resign,” he said.

Describing education as the backbone of society, Ibobi expressed concern that Manipur does not have a full-fledged Education Minister. He said the absence of a dedicated minister reflected poorly on the state’s governance and raised questions about the government’s priorities.

The Congress leader also criticised the functioning of the state administration, alleging that the Council of Ministers had not been expanded despite the formation of the new government. He claimed that Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh was handling more than 20 departments, arguing that such an arrangement could affect administrative efficiency and governance.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-okram-ibobi-singh-bjp-paper-leaks-naga-killings-manipur-2951618-2026-07-20

 

India’s AI-powered unmanned fleet is a naval ace up its sleeve

The world’s most powerful military recently entered a modest club — countries operating Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), robot ships capable of sailing without a crew. On July 12, a swarm of three USVs from US CENTCOM attacked naval facilities within Iran’s Bandar Abbas port. Footage of the event showed the explosive-laden Saronic Corsair boats approaching and exploding under a dock on which an Iranian midget submarine was parked. Last month, a Corsair rescued two pilots of an Apache helicopter gunship that Iran had downed in the Persian Gulf.

The US Navy has 11 nuclear-powered super carriers, it fields the world’s second largest air force with 3,700 aircraft and operates 70 nuclear powered submarines, a dozen of whom can destroy the world several times over. Any other time, this force would have shot off a few Tomahawk cruise missiles, each costing over $4 million, at Bandar Abbas. But the US Navy instead chose to send in an armed mosquito fleet of the kind that Iran and the Houthis have used to wage chokepoint warfare. This is a clear sign of how attack drone technology is evolving— where even superpowers are opting for low-cost attritable systems, affordable enough to be placed at high risk or expended in combat, yet effective enough to deliver critical mission capabilities. They also help the US conserve a depleting arsenal of high and conserve high-end munitions and missiles.

Ukraine currently leads the world in USV technology. Ukraine has innovatively deployed drones in its ongoing war with Russia and plans to double annual drone production to 20 million units. In October 2022, Ukranian USVs struck deep inside Sevastopol harbour targeting Russian warships. In 2024, a Ukranian USV fired a missile downing a Russian helicopter. On July 15, a Ukranian USV launched an armed ground robot at a Russian island— the world’s first such amphibious attack.

Interestingly, this is a race where India is on par with, if not ahead of the rest of the pack. India entered the unmanned surface vessels club in 2024 with a benignly titled Sagarmala Parikrama (sea garland) where the ‘Matangi’, a 13-metre-long USV made by Pune-based defence firm Sagar Defence Engineering, traveled the 1500-km distance from Mumbai to Tuticorin. The vessel was developed under a 2022 project under the iDEX-Defence Innovation Organisation under the Ministry of Defence. At the heart of the vessel is an indigenous AI-driven control suite the firm calls ‘Genesis’, an operating system capable of transforming most maritime platforms into intelligent, autonomous systems.

In the two years since its journey, the Matangi has spawned a USV ecosystem. The navy has placed orders for dozens of autonomous, weaponised fast interceptor craft (FICs) to secure its 7,500 kilometre coastline and a 2.3 million square kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Over the next five years the navy will acquire hundreds of USVs for a range of duties including coastal security, reconnaissance and surveillance, and mine clearing operations. The navy has begun inducing USVs armed with 12.7 mm heavy machine guns to be used for patrolling duties. Larger variants of these boats have a range of over 300 nautical miles, a speed of over 40 knots, can operate in sea states of 6 and survive sea state 8 (10 being the maximum). In hybrid search and rescue mode the boats can carry 14 persons. In a first for any vessel of this type in the country, it has a self-righting facility — which means the boat can return to the upright position after capsizing. These boats can operate in swarms and are remotely controlled via satellite and mesh RF network— where devices communicate over radio signals and form a self-healing, multi-path network, designed to maintain continuous communication over decentralised topology.

One way attack USV variants made by Sagar Defence can carry an explosive payload of approximately 300 kgs, equal to that of heavyweight torpedoes fired by submarines or long range missiles launched by warships. It is a deadly new capability in the naval arsenal.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-robot-ship-fleet-indian-usvs-attack-drones-navy-2951446-2026-07-20

 

Families of those killed in the Air India AI-171 crash have asked the AAIB to release the black box data and cockpit transcript. They say greater transparency is essential to establish the truth and honour victims with a memorial.

Families of those killed in the Air India AI-171 crash have asked the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to release the black box data and the cockpit voice recorder transcript, questioning why the material is being withheld while the agency has said it will share only its final probe report. They also sought greater transparency in the investigation and raised questions over the role of simulator tests in the ongoing inquiry.

The demands were reiterated at a meeting of victims’ relatives on Sunday, against the backdrop of the AAIB’s affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that there is an “absolute statutory prohibition” on disclosing cockpit voice recordings and airborne image recordings from the June 12, 2025, crash.

The London Gatwick-bound flight had crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner hit the BJ Medical College hostel complex.

Addressing reporters after the meeting, Romin Vahora, who lost his brother, niece and aunt in the tragedy, asked how parts of the cockpit conversation had surfaced soon after the crash if the authorities believed such material should not be made public.

“If they never intended to release the data, why did they release a cockpit voice recording transcript (as part of preliminary report) just a few days after the crash?” Vahora asked. He said the families wanted to know whether the selective disclosure was meant to “shift the blame onto the pilots or mislead the victims’ families”.

Vahora said the families wanted the raw black box data to be made public, given to the families, or shared with the lawyers representing them. “If they only give us a summarised report, what guarantee do we have that it is accurate? Until the actual black box data is released, nobody can definitively assure us whether the report is true or false,” he said.

He added that the families had not yet started legal proceedings and were waiting for the final investigation report, while their lawyers were exploring all legal options to obtain the data. He also said the families would continue their efforts to access the black box material and, if the report was not released within the timeline mentioned in the AAIB affidavit, they would consider protests after taking permission from the authorities.

The AAIB told the Supreme Court last week that the draft final report on the crash was expected to be ready in October this year. In its detailed affidavit, the agency said sensitive investigative material, including witness statements, cockpit voice recorder recordings and transcripts, air traffic control communications and medical information, must remain confidential because disclosure could affect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and future aviation safety inquiries.

The victims’ families also repeated their demand for a permanent memorial at the AI-171 crash site. Vahora urged the government, Air India and the Tata Group to earmark land and funds for a monument to honour the victims. Another relative, lawyer Saloni Palkhiwala, who lost her sister Sanjana Palkhiwala in the crash, said the government should use its powers to make an exception and release at least the cockpit conversation transcript, if not the audio.

“It has been one year, one month and nine days. The least they could do is let the families know what happened in the last few seconds,” she said, adding that transcripts had been released in several major international air crash investigations.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/air-india-ai-171-crash-families-demand-black-box-data-cockpit-transcript-ptag-2951659-2026-07-20

 

 

In a five-page letter to Uttar Pradesh’s Appointment and Personnel Department, 2023-batch IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi sought half salary or a transfer, alleging political interference in official duties.

2023-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer Rinku Singh Rahi has written a five-page letter to the state’s Appointment and Personnel Department, requesting either that his salary be reduced by half or that he be transferred to a post where he can discharge his duties in accordance with the law.

Currently posted as SDM (Judicial), Rahi argued in his letter that the position involves only around four hours of work a day and therefore suggested that he be paid only half his salary if he continues in the role.

In the letter, Rahi also made allegations regarding interference in administrative functioning, naming Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh and BJP MLA Gauri Shankar Verma.

According to Rahi, while he was serving as SDM in Jalaun, the District Magistrate allegedly instructed, in the presence of MLA Gauri Shankar Verma, that no action should be taken against cases involving illegal land occupation and encroachments in the Jalaun tehsil area.

The IAS officer further alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to obstruct an impartial inquiry into alleged illegal encroachments involving the name of Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh. He claimed that a dispute was deliberately created over a cold storage facility owned by Ramraja Niranjan, a block chief and a close relative of the minister.

Rahi alleged that he was transferred from the post of SDM, Jalaun, to SDM (Judicial) in haste even before the committee constituted to investigate the controversy had submitted its report.

Rahi’s letter also referred to an inspection he conducted at Ramraja Niranjan’s cold storage facility while serving as SDM, Jalaun, following the fire tragedy in Lucknow that claimed 15 lives. During a 10-minute mock fire drill at the facility, he allegedly found that no firefighting measures had been initiated.

He also sought reports over the absence of necessary documents related to the operation of the cold storage.

The officer further criticised the functioning of the Jalaun district administration, alleging that the District Magistrate’s public grievance programme, Janta Darshan, had become a mere formality. Instead of addressing the root causes of public grievances, only temporary solutions were being provided, he claimed.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/up-ias-officer-rinku-singh-rahi-seeks-half-salary-or-transfer-alleges-interference-2951671-2026-07-20

Police said 11 people were arrested for allegedly luring victims through prostitution advertisements on an app and then robbing them in HBR Layout. Bengaluru City Police urged the public not to respond to such illegal online advertisements and said the probe is on.

Eleven persons have been arrested for allegedly robbing people after luring them to a specific location using prostitution advertisements on an app, Bengaluru Police said on Saturday.

The matter came to light when a Whitefield resident approached the Central Crime Branch’s Women Protection Squad on July 16 and filed a complaint, they said.

The complainant stated that he had come across online advertisements published on a classifieds app. As he responded to the advertisement, certain individuals sent him a live location and instructed him to come to the specific place, police said.

According to police, when the complainant reached the specified location at HBR Layout, some persons showed him two women seated in an autorickshaw and negotiated the payment “for providing sexual services”.

Subsequently, they forcibly snatched the complainant’s cash and mobile phone before fleeing from the spot, a senior police officer said.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at K G Halli Police Station, police said.

“During the investigation, the officers of the CCB Women Protection Squad conducted inquiries from various angles and, on July 17, they apprehended 11 persons from different locations in HBR Layout,” he said.

The police also seized two autorickshaws, four two-wheelers, 13 mobile phones, and cash used in the commission of the offence.

“During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had brought women from other states to Bengaluru, arranged accommodation for them at various locations, uploaded their photographs on the app, and contacted prospective customers through the mobile numbers mentioned in the advertisements,” the officer said.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/11-arrested-for-using-prostitution-ads-on-app-to-rob-victims-2951078-2026-07-19

The Uttarakhand government has halted the felling of 4,369 trees for the proposed Rishikesh highway widening after sustained protests. The pause has intensified calls for an alternative route amid concerns over forest loss and wildlife deaths.

The Uttarakhand government has temporarily halted the felling of 4,369 trees for the proposed Rishikesh highway widening project following widespread public protests, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced.

The decision comes after days of demonstrations by environmentalists, local residents and social organisations, who have opposed the large-scale tree cutting in the Ranipokhari-Rishikesh forest division.

Protesters have been demanding that the government suspend the tree-felling exercise and explore an alternative alignment for the highway to minimise environmental damage. The state government has now put the project on hold while it reviews the concerns raised by the public.

The issue also drew political attention on Friday when Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met a delegation of campaigners associated with the forest conservation movement while returning from an event in Dehradun.

During the meeting, the delegation briefed Gandhi on the proposed project and its environmental implications. Gandhi assured them that he would raise the matter in Parliament, according to the protesters.

Activists argue that widening the highway at the cost of thousands of trees would cause irreversible ecological damage and have urged authorities to adopt an alternative route that would preserve the forest cover.

Concerns over the project’s impact on wildlife have also intensified after a female sambar deer was killed in a collision with an unidentified vehicle near the highway in Rishikesh’s Barkot Range on Friday morning.

Protesters said the incident highlights the risks already posed by traffic in the area and warned that a wider highway could increase vehicle speeds and lead to more wildlife fatalities.

Meanwhile, a video featuring a woman participating in the protest has gone viral on social media. In the video, she is seen making an emotional appeal to workers engaged in cutting trees, urging them to stop.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rishikesh-highway-widening-uttarakhand-halts-4369-tree-felling-after-protests-2951079-2026-07-19

A court in Alwar sentenced former BJP district president Inderjit Singh Pata and eight relatives to life imprisonment for Avtar Singh’s 2016 murder. The verdict, delivered after 10 years and 18 days, has revived focus on the family feud and Pata’s recent government appointment.

A district court in Rajasthan’s Alwar on Saturday sentenced former BJP district president Inderjit Singh Pata and eight others to life imprisonment in the 2016 murder of a man allegedly killed over a village sarpanch election rivalry.

The District and Sessions Court held all nine accused guilty and also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on each of them. The verdict came nearly 10 years and 18 days after the crime, making it one of the region’s most closely watched cases linked to election-related violence.

District and Sessions Judge Anant Bhandari delivered the judgment after examining the statements of 22 witnesses, medical reports and other documentary evidence. Besides Inderjit Singh Pata, those convicted include Anoop Singh, Kamaljeet Singh, Gurvachan Singh, Jaspal Singh, Kulwant Singh, Aman Singh, Harvinder Singh and Vishvendra Singh. According to the prosecution, all the convicts belong to the same extended family, including Pata’s brother, nephews and other relatives.

According to the case, Avtar Singh was attacked on the evening of June 10, 2016, while sitting at a shop in Pata village under the Naugaon police station area. Prosecutors said the attack stemmed from animosity arising out of a sarpanch election.

The prosecution alleged that a group of 8 to 10 men armed with hammers, swords, knives, iron pipes, hockey sticks and lathis assaulted Avtar Singh. During the attack, Inderjit Singh allegedly exhorted the assailants by shouting, “Maaro inko maaro” (Kill them).

Avtar Singh suffered grievous injuries and was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A murder case and other related charges were subsequently registered at Naugaon police station, and the police later filed a chargesheet against all the accused.

CONVICTS SEEN SMILING AFTER VERDICT
Eyewitnesses said that even after being sentenced to life imprisonment, the convicts showed no visible remorse. A video that surfaced after the verdict purportedly showed the convicted men smiling and boarding a police vehicle from the court premises, drawing attention and discussion among those present.

FAMILY SAYS JUSTICE DELIVERED AFTER A DECADE
Following the verdict, Ajaypal, the son of the deceased, said his family had finally received justice after “10 years and 18 days.”

He said his father and Inderjit Singh were relatives, but had backed rival candidates in the sarpanch election. According to him, after the candidate supported by his father won, the rivalry escalated and culminated in the murder. He described the court’s verdict as a victory for justice.

POLITICAL ATTENTION AFTER RECENT APPOINTMENT
The verdict has also triggered political discussion as the Rajasthan government had reportedly appointed Inderjit Singh Pata as a member of the District Public Grievance Committee around 10 days ago.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/alwar-murder-case-ex-bjp-leader-inderjit-pata-8-others-get-life-in-sarpanch-poll-rivalry-murder-2951082-2026-07-19

In a video message, Anna Hazare urged the government to hold talks with Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on indefinite hunger strike.

Social activist Anna Hazare on Saturday urged the Centre to engage in dialogue with educationist Sonam Wangchuk, saying the government should not avoid discussions even if it disagrees with his demands.

“The government should not test his limits. Say yes or no (to his demands) but what is wrong in holding discussions,” Hazare said in a video message.

Hazare’s remarks came hours after Delhi Police shifted Wangchuk to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorated on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar. Wangchuk has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak scandal.

Police said Wangchuk was moved to the hospital on expert medical advice and in compliance with directions of the Delhi High Court.

Senior border security officials from SCO member states, including India and Pakistan, met in Islamabad to exchange border security assessments and discuss regional cooperation. The meeting approved the results of Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2025”, plans for “Solidarity-2026” and an experts’ work plan for 2027.

Senior border security officials from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states, including India and Pakistan, met in Islamabad on Friday to exchange assessments on the security situation along their international borders and discuss ways to strengthen cooperation against emerging threats.

The discussions took place during the 12th Meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO, hosted by Pakistan. According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the participants shared information, assessments, trends and forecasts related to border security across the SCO region.

Focus Shifts To Stronger Border Coordination

The meeting brought together heads and representatives of the border services of Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives from the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) also attended.

According to the Foreign Office, the participants exchanged views on the evolving security situation along the international borders of SCO member states and discussed ways to strengthen coordination in addressing emerging challenges. The discussions reflected the organisation’s continued focus on improving regional cooperation in border management despite the complex security environment across several member countries, PTI reported.

Joint Operations Approved

During the meeting, the participants approved the results of Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2025”, carried out by the border services of the SCO member states. They also approved the plan for preparing and conducting Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2026”.

The meeting further endorsed the Work Plan of the Group of Experts of the Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO member states for 2027. The participants also supported Tajikistan’s proposal to host Joint Border Operation “Solidarity-2027” in 2027.

In addition, the officials discussed proposals on the venue and timing of the next meeting of the Heads of Border Services of the Competent Authorities of the SCO member states.

Source: https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/sco-member-states-including-india-and-pakistan-exchange-border-security-assessments-at-islamabad-meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the tragedy and declared an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured

A tragic incident has come to light from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. At least eight people have been killed and nine reported injured in a blast inside an illegal firecracker factory in the Vastral area on Saturday.

Talent Fireworks was operating on a farm even though its licence had been cancelled. The explosion was followed by a massive fire that engulfed the factory.

PM Modi expresses grief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the tragedy and declared an ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs. 50,000 for the injured.

Abhishek Banerjee challenged rebel TMC leaders to return, offering to resign if they do, amid defections, internal rift, BJP attacks, and growing battle over party control after poll defeat.

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday challenged his dissidents who severed ties with the Mamata Banerjee wing of the embattled party to return, and offered to resign within an hour if they did.

Abhishek was responding to a question on the ever-increasing defections from the TMC in the aftermath of its assembly poll debacle, leaving Mamata Banerjee hanging by a thread as far as her control over the party, its symbol and funds are concerned and drastically reducing her strength in Parliament.

“Those who left the party and are now abusing or blaming me today, I challenge them to return to Didi. If they do, I will resign from my party post within one hour,” the Diamond Harbour MP said.

“But they will not do that. They have already struck a deal with the BJP. The arrangement is simple: leave the party, join the rebel camp or the BJP, seek protection from the ED, CBI and other investigating agencies, and then start blaming and abusing Abhishek Banerjee,” he added.

He dared the dissident leaders to face the investigating agencies instead of turning their backs on Mamata Banerjee.

“I also want to say something to those who leave their party the moment they receive a notice from the ED, CBI or any investigating agency. If you have done nothing wrong, then face the investigation,” Banerjee said.

Noting that he has been summoned repeatedly by the CID and other agencies, and a number of FIRs have been registered against him, the TMC leader said he did not run away.

“For us, protection from the ED or the CBI is not important. The only protection that matters is the trust and support of the people. If I ever bow before anyone, I will bow only before the people in a democracy, never before the powerful individuals sitting in Delhi. That is the principle on which I stand,” he added.

Abhishek argued that he was ready to accept responsibility for the 2026 poll defeat only if he is credited with the party’s victory in the parliamentary polls in 2024 when the party won 29 of the 42 seats it contested.

“Anyone who wants to return before the July 21 rally can come back, and I will ensure that they are accommodated. Those facing serious allegations should not expect political protection by changing sides, because the people will ultimately deliver the final verdict,” he said.

Abhishek’s offer, interestingly, came shortly after TMC MP and Mamata Banerjee loyalist Kalyan Banerjee declared that if any of the deserters are accommodated back, he will quit Trinamool Congress.

“I have told Didi (Mamata) that not one of these leaders, who turned their back on her, should be allowed re-entry. If they are allowed to come back, now or in the future, then I will be the first to quit this party,” Kalyan said at a TMC workers’ preparatory meeting in Bankura for the July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally.

Responding to Abhishek’s challenge, Akhruzzaman, the party’s chief whip in the assembly and a leader in the Ritabrata Banerjee camp, wondered why it took the MP so long to say this.

“We had repeatedly tried to tell Didi that she should choose between her blood relation and her dedicated workers. She chose the former, and now the damage is done,” said Akhruzzaman.

BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar said Abhishek’s comment “lacked credibility”.

“He had thrown many such challenges before, but never acted on them. It is up to the TMC leaders to decide whether they will trust his words or not. But I can guarantee this: the TMC will ultimately have no one in its fold except Pishi and Bhaipo (aunt and nephew),” he said.

Widespread rebellion has rocked Mamata Banerjee’s party – marked by resignations, switching of camps, defections to the BJP and leaders questioning organisational decisions and the manner in which the party was led – following its shock defeat in the assembly polls at the hands of the saffron party.

The latest to quit was TMC’s newly elected Rajya Sabha MP and actor-turned-politician Rukmini alias Koel Mallick, who resigned on Thursday without attending a single sitting in the Upper House.

Mallick’s resignation came in the wake of three former TMC MPs – Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, Sushmita Dev, and Prakash Chik Baraik – who defected to the BJP and were re-elected to the Rajya Sabha after receiving bypoll tickets for the vacant seats.

Besides the Rajya Sabha, the party’s strength in the Lok Sabha, too, has shrunk drastically after 20 rebel MPs – most of whom such as Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kakali Ghosh Dastidar were long-time associates of Banerjee – broke away from the TMC to merge with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and pledged support to the BJP-led NDA.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/abhishek-banerjee-dares-tmc-rebels-to-return-will-resign-within-an-hour-article-155130641

A kinetic strike targeting highly integrated industrial zones would have an immediate social impact, translating directly into severe domestic fuel and power shortages

A significant structural shift is transforming the cross-border security landscape, as state counter-terrorism agencies detect a calculated relocation of hostile networks away from traditional conflict zones in Jammu and Kashmir. The recent high-profile crackdown by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), which dismantled a highly organised Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module, serves as validation for long-standing intelligence predictions. Rather than engaging in localised tactical skirmishes along the Line of Control, transnational networks are aggressively pivoting toward the Indian hinterland with an ambitious, multi-billion-dollar objective: orchestrating widespread economic paralysis.

The Vulnerability of Integrated Energy Networks

The choice of new operational theatres is dictated by clear geographic and industrial realities. Both Gujarat and Rajasthan share direct, highly complex international borders with Pakistan, rendering them natural entry points for covert ingress. More importantly, these two western states house the critical foundation of India’s modern economic infrastructure. Security strategists emphasise that a successful disruption in this corridor would trigger immediate, cascading failures nationwide.

A kinetic strike targeting these highly integrated industrial zones would have an immediate social impact, translating directly into severe domestic fuel and power shortages. Because the country’s daily logistical pipelines rely on centralised supply chains, compromising these networks would paralyse vital commodity movements, disrupting the daily lives of millions of citizens completely removed from the immediate site of an attack.

Shifting Focus from Local Politics to GDP Shocks
The financial logic behind this tactical realignment reveals an evolving threat matrix. Outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed have realised that attacks inside Jammu and Kashmir, while politically volatile, yield increasingly localised operational impacts that fail to dent India’s macroeconomic trajectory. Conversely, targeting the commercial spine of the country offers massive asymmetric leverage.

Maritime Gateways: Gujarat alone anchors critical maritime hubs like the Mundra and Kandla ports, which manage a massive percentage of India’s global trade volumes.
Energy Lifelines: The state hosts mega-industrial installations, including the massive Jamnagar oil refinery complex, the largest refining hub in the world.
The Shockwave Factor: Compromising a primary industrial cluster or commercial port would deliver a multi-billion-dollar shock directly to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while severely undermining foreign investor confidence in national infrastructure security.
Historic Precedents of Coastal and Hinterland Exploitation
This strategy is built on historical precedents where hostile actors successfully exploited non-traditional routes. The devastating 2002 Akshardham Temple assault in Gandhinagar demonstrated an early intent to strike deep within the political and cultural centres of western India.

Years later, the 2008 Mumbai attacks exposed significant vulnerabilities along the western coast. During that operation, Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives successfully capitalised on maritime security gaps off the coast of Gujarat, hijacking an Indian fishing trawler to infiltrate the financial capital undetected. Current intelligence indicates that the lessons from those operations are being actively modernised by contemporary sleeper cells.

The Challenge of E-Commerce and Everyday Chemicals

Compounding this security challenge is the changing nature of modern procurement, which allows small networks to operate entirely under the radar. The raw components necessary to construct high-yield improvised explosive devices—including ammonium nitrate commonly found in agricultural fertilisers, hydrogen peroxide, and standard electronic timers—are readily available on open domestic markets and mainstream e-commerce platforms.

By adopting consumer-like behaviour, modern sleeper cells can purchase these hazardous chemical substances in small, isolated batches across multiple digital and physical storefronts. This decentralised, low-profile purchasing strategy allows operatives to bypass national security triggers, compile lethal stockpiles over extended periods, and build high-grade devices without ever tripping traditional counter-terrorism alarms.

Source: https://www.news18.com/india/targeting-the-gdp-why-terror-outfits-are-shifting-focus-from-kashmir-to-indias-economic-spine-exclusive-10220368.html

Police said the march would be stopped on the grounds that it would disrupt law and order in a high-security zone, endanger public safety and choke traffic.

Delhi Police officials on Saturday said they would not allow the Sansad Chalo march to Parliament that the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for Monday morning, describing the entire ongoing hunger strike at Jantar Mantar as an “illegal” protest for which no fresh permission had been sought.

Senior officers said the march would be stopped on the grounds that it would disrupt law and order in a high-security zone, endanger public safety and choke traffic in central Delhi. Detentions, they said, would follow if a large gathering pushed toward Parliament.

‘CJP continued protest without clearance’

A senior police officer aware of the matter, who asked not to be named, said the CJP had permission only for a single day at Jantar Mantar, had signed undertakings to that effect, and had subsequently extended the protest without clearance. “CJP spokesperson Abhijeet Dipke has never informed us or applied for a permission for the Sansad Chalo march. It’s a completely illegal protest because they only had permission for one day. We even made them sign undertakings. Now, they have extended it without any permission. Also, for the march, we only approached them but they have not even applied for a permission,” the officer said.

CJP spokesperson Vaishnavi Gaur disputed the account. “We had intimated them about the march way back. They know very well about the march and our plans. In any case, they won’t allow us,” she told HT, adding that it was only done in person and not in writing.

Tight security measures at Jantar Mantar

The police have deployed over 100 personnel, along with Rapid Action Force units, on both sides of the Jantar Mantar site and inside the protest area. Officers said 200 personnel would be posted on Saturday and Sunday, additional units and paramilitary forces would be called in for Monday’s march, and extra police vans have been placed around the site. The crowd at Jantar Mantar swelled from around 500 to 800 through the day, they said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/delhi-police-won-t-allow-cjps-parliament-march-on-july-20-calls-it-illegal-101784400532930.html

Sonam Wangchuk was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police in a sudden operation on Saturday morning.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was shifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Saturday by police after 20 days on hunger strike, is refusing medical treatment, according to the hospital.

A medical bulletin released on Saturday afternoon by Safdarjung Hospital stated that Wangchuk has refused intravenous fluids and any other medication advised by doctors.

“Although intravenous fluids were advised, the patient has refused all intravenous fluids, oral rehydration solution and any other medication,” the hospital said.

He is being continuously monitored and counselled to accept treatment in the interest of his health, the statement added.

Wangchuk, 59, was brought to the hospital by Delhi Police and admitted at 7:40 am with a history of fasting for 20 days and generalised weakness,” the hospital said in its health bulletin.

At the time of admission, he was conscious with stable pulse, blood pressure and oxygen saturation. Signs of dehydration were observed, it said.

Shortly after his hospitalisation, Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo asked the hospital not to administer him any treatment without her consent and sought his discharge, alleging a lack of transparency in his medical care.

Wangchuk was removed from the Jantar Mantar protest site by Delhi Police in a sudden operation on Saturday morning.

He has been on a hunger strike for the past 20 days demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/dehydrated-and-weak-sonam-wangchuk-refusing-treatment-says-hospital-11788544?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The victim, Atul Panwar, who co-ran Krishna Kids Play School in Hastinapur with his wife, Damini, was found dead in his bed.

A woman and her reported lover have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut for allegedly killing her husband. The duo used a snake in an attempt to make his death appear accidental, police said, adding that the motive was to claim a Rs 20 lakh insurance payout and continue their relationship.

The victim, Atul Panwar, who co-ran Krishna Kids Play School in Hastinapur with his wife Damini, was found dead in his bed. Panwar and Damini married in 2019 and lived in Hastinapur, PTI reported.

Murder Was Carefully Planned

Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) said the investigation revealed that Damini was allegedly in a relationship with the school’s driver, Tushar alias Nikki. Police claim the two first attempted to kill Atul by staging a road accident, but after that plan failed, they allegedly came up with another plot. She had conspired with her lover and two others to kill her husband.

Damini allegedly mixed sleeping pills into her husband’s milk to make him unconscious before releasing a poisonous snake onto the bed, where it bit him. According to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Abhijit Kumar, Panwar was rushed to a nearby Community Health Centre on Friday morning and was later confirmed dead.

What Was The Motive?

Police said the conspiracy was driven by two motives: claiming Rs 20 lakh in insurance and removing Atul to continue the illicit relationship. The accused allegedly planned this plot to pass off the death as a natural snakebite incident to avoid suspicion.

Investigation Uncovered Alleged Conspiracy

Although the death initially appeared to be caused by a snakebite, investigators began examining the circumstances more closely.

Police said they analysed mobile phone records and other evidence, which eventually led them to uncover the alleged conspiracy involving Damini and Tushar. Both have been arrested, and further investigation is underway.

According to police, Tushar is also married and had allegedly been planning to divorce his wife before the alleged murder plot came to light.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/meerut-murder-she-drugged-his-milk-then-released-snake-on-him-a-chilling-up-murder-11788680?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

As Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike entered its 20th day and the “Cockroach” party continued its protest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced criticism for his reluctance to hold press conferences.

On Friday, the Delhi heat had relented only but a little to settle on 39 degree Celsius, although the “feels like” temperature was still 46 degrees.

And yet, the crowds gathered by the hundreds at the capital’s most famous protest spot — outside a 300-year-old astronomical observatory.

At Jantar Mantar, protesters gathered as the hunger strike of activist Sonam Wangchuk and four others calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan reached the twentieth day.

Wangchuk, along with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other organizations, are demanding Pradhan’s resignation over alleged exam irregularities.

‘A call to duty,’ protester says
For CJP volunteer Ankit Yadav, who is from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, some 300 kilometers from New Delhi, it was a call to duty after a neighbor died by suicide due to the cancellation of an exam whose question paper had been leaked.

“I knew I had to do something,” he said. “No one else was doing anything.”

He said seeing all the people gives him hope and motivates him, even though no one from the government has reached out to the protesters.

Shyam, an auto rickshaw driver, said he had been giving some students free rides to the protest site.

“This is the least I can do. I am doing this for my young children and their future.”

Also at the protest was Rahul. His son had taken an exam for government jobs, the SSC Stenographer Exam in 2025. While the results were declared on June 18, they were withdrawn the next day “suspecting inaccurate evaluation,” according to authorities.

“Now all the youngsters who celebrated their selection are depressed and facing an uncertain future,” Rahul said. “That’s why I am here on their behalf.”

The cacophony of sounds blended speeches from the stage, where CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke addressed the crowd, with loud patriotic music emanating elsewhere.

There were also hosts of policemen stationed on the ground overseeing extensive security checks, with a banner right up ahead reading, “The heat of young blood will melt the valley of snow.”

Alongside Sonam Wangchuk, three students are also on hunger strike, demanding the resignation of India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Neha, Manish and Aameen on Friday continued their protest despite their deteriorating health conditions.

The three are members of the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and PhD scholars at different universities.

Doctors affiliated with the Delhi government have been monitoring the health of the protesters twice a day. Three other hunger strikers have already withdrawn from the protest due to health concerns.

AISA Delhi president Saiyed was seated opposite his fellow protesters as they rested on makeshift beds at the protest site.

He said his colleagues wanted to continue the hunger strike to highlight the lives lost to suicides allegedly linked to irregularities in the highly competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), or NEET-UG, the entrance examination for medical colleges in India.

It will be months before they will be able to eat properly, but they want their voices to be heard, he said.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/india-news-modi-silent-as-sonam-wangchuk-hunger-strike-enters-20th-day/live-77997484

As India’s private space sector prepares for another defining moment, a special message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to ride into space aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket.

As India’s private space sector prepares for another defining moment, a special message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to ride into space aboard Skyroot Aerospace’s Vikram-1 rocket. The message, printed on a commemorative card, will travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere alongside hundreds of cards carrying wishes and aspirations from people around the world.

In his message to Skyroot on a postcard which will fly into space, PM Modi simply wrote “Vande Mataram”.

Replying to the PM’s message, Skyroot wrote a note titled “A Billion Dreams… Even More Possibilities.” The note, a summation of messages to the company from various people, read: “Every new satellite in space transforms life on Earth. They connect billions to the internet, help precise navigation, enable precision agriculture, monitor our planet, forecast weather, detect disaster, strengthen national security, improve weather forecasting, guide fishermen to richer waters, help combat climate change, and will increasingly power the AI-driven world of tomorrow.”

The Skyroot also received postcards from Union Minister Piyush Goyal, former ISRO chairman S Somanath, and Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station.

For Skyroot Aerospace, PM Modi’s gesture is symbolic. The Hyderabad-based startup represents one of the biggest success stories of India’s decision to open up the space sector to private enterprise. What was once the exclusive domain of government agencies that resisted this opening up is now witnessing the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs determined to build rockets, satellites and space services for the world.

PM Modi has been one of the strongest advocates of this transformation. Under his leadership, India initiated major reforms that opened the space sector to private participation. The creation of IN-SPACe as a regulatory and facilitation body provided startups with access to ISRO facilities and expertise. The reforms triggered a wave of innovation, attracting investors, engineers and entrepreneurs to an area that had long remained closed to private players.

Among the biggest beneficiaries of these reforms has been Skyroot Aerospace.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly highlighted the achievements of Indian space startups and has often cited Skyroot as an example of the new energy emerging within India’s innovation ecosystem. He also inaugurated Skyroot’s headquarters and integrated spacecraft facility in Hyderabad.

The upcoming Vikram-1 mission is expected to be a major milestone not only for Skyroot but also for India’s commercial space ambitions. Named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, Vikram-1 is designed as an orbital launch vehicle capable of carrying satellites into space for customers from India and abroad.

The mission follows Skyroot’s successful Vikram-S suborbital launch in 2022. That flight made history as the first privately developed Indian rocket to reach space.

Now the company is preparing for a more ambitious challenge. An orbital mission requires far greater precision and complexity. Every stage of the rocket, every software command and every subsystem must function flawlessly. Success would establish Skyroot among a select group of private launch providers worldwide capable of placing payloads into orbit.

At the heart of this journey are Skyroot’s founders and former ISRO scientists Pawan Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, who wanted to make access to space affordable, reliable and responsive for customers worldwide.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modis-vande-mataram-message-set-to-fly-into-space-tomorrow-11786226?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

After removing activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site, the Delhi Police has appealed to the protesters to vacate the site “peacefully at the earliest”.

Early on Saturday morning, Delhi Police officials shifted Sonam Wangchuk to a Delhi hospital amid protests and sloganeering by the protesters.

In a statement after the action, Delhi Police said that their action was in accordance with the Delhi High Court order and due to Wangchuk’s failing health.

“Sonam Wangchuk has been shifted to the hospital for essential medical care,” Police statement said.

Reports said Wangchuk has been admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital, adding that he is conscious and his vitals are stable.

The police have also appealed to the protesters to vacate Jantar Mantar peacefully.

“While complying with the orders of Hon’ble High Court the protesters tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued. Police, however, exercised maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely. We request the protesters at Jantar Mantar to peacefully vacate the place at the earliest.”

After Wangchuk was shifted, Delhi Police officials were seen making announcements at Jantar Mantar asking protesters to vacate the place peacefully.

Satirical social media platfrom Cockroach Janata Party activists have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for 29 days demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over NEET paper leak.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/sonam-wanchuk-taken-to-hospital-for-essential-care-delhi-police-urges-protesters-to-vacate-jantar-mantar-11787089?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, reported being assaulted and detained by Delhi Police during a protest at Jantar Mantar and claimed that police launched lathi charge on students.

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke on Saturday claimed that he was assaulted and detained by the Delhi Police during the protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital. Dipke further alleged that climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike, was also being taken into custody and students were subjected to a lathi-charge.

In addition to this, Dipke announced that he is starting an indefinite hunger strike. “I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now,” he wrote in a post on X.

I am starting an indefinite hunger strike beginning right now.

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 18, 2026

In another post, Dipke wrote, “I have been beaten up and put under detention by Delhi Police.”

The CJP founder claimed that the Delhi Police stopped him at the place where he was staying and alleged that Sonam Wangchuk was forcefully removed from the protest site. “The Delhi Police has stopped me where I was staying. People are telling me that Sonam Wangchuk is being picked up from the protest site. Students are being lathicharged!” Dipke said in another post on X.

“At 7 AM, when I stepped out to freshen up, police goons arrived here. They dragged Sonam Sir away while hurling abuse at him. A 60-year-old man, who had been on a hunger strike for 20 days and hadn’t eaten a thing, was forcibly dragged away by the Delhi Police,” Dipke said.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/delhi-police-crackdown-on-jantar-mantar-dipke-alleges-assault-says-im-under-detention-article-155126091

The India-Japan joint statement, issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on July 2 in New Delhi, had strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, including “cross-border terrorism from Pakistan”.

New Delhi: India on Friday brushed aside Pakistan’s objections to a reference to cross-border terrorism in a recent India-Japan joint statement and said the document “is self-explanatory” and reflects shared perspectives on regional security challenges.

The India-Japan joint statement, issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi on July 2 in New Delhi, had strongly condemned all forms of terrorism, including “cross-border terrorism from Pakistan”.

Pakistan has lodged a strong protest with Japan over references to cross-border terrorism.

“I would say the joint statement that was adopted during the visit of the Prime Minister of Japan to India has several issues addressed, which are of bilateral nature, and also on issues on which we have a certain viewpoint,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing.

“I would say that our joint statement is self-explanatory,” when he was asked about Pakistan’s action,” he said.

His remarks came in response to a question.

“The two prime ministers unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism from Pakistan,” the joint statement said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/self-explanatory-india-dismisses-pak-objection-to-cross-border-terrorism-reference-in-india-japan-joint-statement-4077714#google_vignette

As Washington weighs a bill targeting countries that buy Russian crude, India responds cautiously, reiterating its energy sourcing approach while the proposed legislation gathers support in the US Senate.

India on Friday said it was closely following a proposed US legislation that could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries including India and China for purchasing Russian crude oil, as the bill reportedly gains support from around 60 US Senators.

“We are closely following these developments, and we are aware of the proposed legislation,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his regular media briefing.

“As far as buying oil is concerned, we buy oil from various countries in the world. It is based on our approach towards energy sourcing,” he said in response to a question about the proposed bill.

The legislation was conceived by Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal and late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. It seeks to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia’s political leadership, financial institutions and energy sector, with the stated aim of cutting off revenues used by Russian President Vladimir Putin to finance the war against Ukraine.

‘100% TARIFFS’ ON MAJOR RUSSIAN OIL BUYERS

Blumenthal said on Tuesday that the proposed legislation was aimed at imposing 100 per cent tariffs on five major purchasers of Russian oil — China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.

The bill would target countries continuing to purchase Russian crude, potentially exposing them to steep additional trade penalties in an effort to increase pressure on Moscow.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-us-bill-100-percent-tariffs-russian-oil-buyers-2950428-2026-07-17

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after the collapse of her government in August 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation.

India on Friday said Bangladesh’s request to extradite deposed former prime minister Sheikh Hasina is still under examination. The response from New Delhi came amid reports that Hasina is preparing to return to Dhaka to revive her Awami League party.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the request was being considered in line with the legal issues involved. The development comes against the backdrop of strained ties between India and Bangladesh, even as both sides have taken steps in recent months to stabilise relations.

“We have received a request for extradition. This request, as we have said earlier as well, is under examination,” Jaiswal said. “The request is being taken into consideration given the legalities that are involved,” he added.

Last week, sources close to Hasina said the 78-year-old former prime minister is preparing to voluntarily return to Dhaka to revive the Awami League.

Hasina has been living in India since she fled Dhaka after the collapse of her government in August 2024 in the face of a massive anti-government agitation.

Last November, Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by a special tribunal in Dhaka for alleged “crimes against humanity” over her government’s crackdown on student-led protests in 2024.

Since that verdict, Dhaka has been urging New Delhi to extradite her to face the law. “We are all prepared to welcome our leader back,” Kazi Nasim Rupak, a member of the publicity sub-committee of the Awami League, told PTI Videos on Friday.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/sheikh-hasina-extradition-request-india-says-bangladesh-plea-under-examination-ptag-2950301-2026-07-17

H-FAST and Food Safety Officer Dyvanidhi inspected sweet, cake, cookie and Osmania biscuit units across Hyderabad. The raids found unhygienic conditions and pest infestation, prompting action against violators.

The Hyderabad Food Safety Task Force (H-FAST), along with Food Safety Officer (FSO) Dyvanidhi, conducted inspections at several manufacturing units producing sweets, cakes, cookies and Osmania biscuits across the city, uncovering multiple food safety violations.

During the raids, officials reportedly found unhygienic conditions, pest infestation and other lapses in hygiene and sanitation at the inspected facilities.

The violations were detected during inspections carried out as part of the Food Safety Department’s ongoing drive to ensure that food products are manufactured under hygienic conditions and in compliance with food safety regulations.

Officials said action has been initiated against the establishments found violating food safety norms. The department reiterated that strict action would be taken against food business operators found flouting prescribed standards.

Source  : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/hyderabad-food-safety-raids-uncover-unhygienic-conditions-at-sweet-biscuit-units-2950473-2026-07-18

Police have arrested a Gwalior man accused of posing as Sonu on Achat messaging app to coerce a Gujarat minor into nude video calls. Officials said that he then used threats, blackmail and a false identity to keep her under pressure.

A man from Madhya Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly posing as ‘Sonu’ on a messaging app to befriend a girl from Gujarat before coercing her into nude video calls and threatening her with defamation and suicide, police said.

The accused, identified as Bittu Khan, a resident of Gwalior, allegedly concealed his identity while contacting the minor from Ahmedabad Rural through the ‘Achat’ messaging application. Police said he introduced himself as a 23-year-old unmarried man named Sonu and gradually gained the girl’s trust before shifting their conversations to WhatsApp and video calls.

According to the complaint, the girl downloaded the Achat app in March, where she came into contact with the accused. As their conversations progressed, he allegedly began pressuring her to engage in nude video calls, meet him in person and enter into a physical relationship.

Police said that around 10 days ago, the accused demanded that the girl make a nude video call. When she refused, he allegedly threatened to tarnish her reputation by circulating her details on social media. Despite the threats, the girl initially did not comply.

Officials said that Bittu Khan had also obtained the passwords to the girl’s Gmail and Instagram accounts and allegedly accessed them without her consent. The complainant further suspected that he had shared her mobile number with others.

According to the police complaint, the accused had allegedly been coercing the minor into undressing during video calls for the past two months. Officials said that he threatened to end his life if she refused and allegedly warned that he would mention her name in a suicide note, leaving the girl under severe mental distress.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/achat-app-blackmail-gwalior-man-posed-as-sonu-targeted-gujarat-minor-2950481-2026-07-18

The bench said this while issuing notice on a petition seeking a mechanism to ensure early disposal of over 3 million appeals by Bengal voters facing exclusion.

Deletion of names from an electoral roll does not result in the loss of citizenship, the Supreme Court stated on Friday, reiterating that its recent judgment upholding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar casts a corresponding duty on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to refer deleted voters to the Centre to adjudicate their legal status.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said: “Our judgment (on Bihar SIR) is clear. The Election Commission of India has full control over the electoral roll. However, that does not result in loss of citizenship per se. They have a corresponding duty to refer it to the ministry of the Central government department for adjudication of the citizenship status.”

The bench made the observation while issuing notice on a petition seeking a mechanism to ensure early disposal of over three million appeals by West Bengal voters facing exclusion from subsidised ration, cash benefits, and other state welfare schemes following their removal from the electoral roll.

The petition, filed by Prasenjit Bose of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, was argued by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan. He stated that despite the top court’s clarifying judgment, the West Bengal government has issued at least three orders removing benefits under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Annapurna cash transfer scheme.

Sankaranarayanan, assisted by advocate Neha Rathi, pointed out that the petition seeks to expedite nearly 3.4 million appeals filed by voters excluded under the SIR exercise. He told the court that 19 tribunals were established by the Supreme Court to decide these appeals, but no official data exists regarding the number resolved so far. He urged the court to make public the standard operating procedure (SOP) for these tribunals.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/deletion-from-electoral-roll-doesn-t-take-away-citizenship-supreme-court-101784337559016.html

Preliminary information suggests the accused pulled out a machete from his bag, following which the woman tried to flee. The accused chased her, attacked her with the weapon, and fled the scene.

A woman was killed after being attacked with a machete by an unidentified man in Karnataka on Thursday. The accused has been on the run since the incident.

The incident happened at the KSRTC New Bus Stand in BC Road, Bantwal, this evening. The incident was captured on camera, which shows the accused attacking the victim and then running away, leaving the murder weapon at the scene.

The victim has been identified as Lavanya, 21, a resident of Uligram in Bantwal. She works at a private nursing home in Kalladka.

The accused was identified as Chetan, a resident of Odilnala in Belthangady, Karnataka.

Police said the motive behind the attack and the circumstances leading to the incident are yet to be ascertained.

According to police, the incident occurred around 6 pm while the victim was waiting for a bus. Preliminary information suggests the accused pulled out a machete from his bag, following which the woman tried to flee. The accused chased her, attacked her with the weapon, and fled the scene.

The victim was rushed to the Bantwal Government Hospital, where she was undergoing treatment. However, she later died of her injuries.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/on-camera-man-attacks-woman-with-machete-at-karnataka-bus-stand-she-dies-11781081?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

Indian-origin gangster Nitish Kaushal’s arrest comes two days after FBI put him to its “wanted” list.

Indian-origin gangster Nitish Kaushal, member of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group and wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been arrested in the United States. Kaushal is accused of being part of a transnational criminal organisation and carrying out kidnappings and assaults.

The arrest comes two days after FBI put Kaushal to its “wanted” list. A federal arrest warrant was issued against Kaushal on June 25 by the US District Court for the Central District of California after he was charged with conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.

Nitish Kaushal is #wanted by the #FBI for his alleged involvement in a transnational criminal organization engaged in, among other things, acts involving murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling. This… pic.twitter.com/xuEXpJIx6u

— FBI Most Wanted (@FBIMostWanted) July 14, 2026

Nitish Kaushal, alias Lala, is an Indian national born on June 15, 2020. He allegedly carried out acts of violence, including, but not limited to kidnappings and assaults. He did so on behalf of the Bhagwanpuria Organized Crime Group that originated in Punjab and operated in the Central District of California and elsewhere, FBI noted. The gang, according to FBI, has been engaged in murder, kidnapping, drug trafficking, extortion, weapons trafficking, money laundering, and human smuggling.

Sharing an update on the arrest early Friday, FBI said Nitish Kaushal has been arrested in Vermont and called to help the intelligence agency “locate other fugitives wanted for committing crimes related to criminal enterprise investigations.”

The FBI is conducting operations against organised crime syndicates of India-origin under Operation Hard Ball. It was under this operation that Nitish Kaushal was declared “wanted.”

Satinderjeet Singh Brar alias Goldy Brar has also been added to FBI’s “wanted” list for his alleged involvement in the Lawrence Bishnoi Organised Crime Group and carrying out violence in Southern California, and across the US and Canada.

“These acts include assassinations of political and religious figures, shootings, murders, kidnappings, extortions, assaults, and the trafficking of narcotics and weapons,” FBI notice read.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/gangster-nitish-kaushal-member-of-jaggu-bhagwanpuria-gang-arrested-in-us-fbi-had-put-him-on-wanted-list-11782389?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories